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Tag: workers

  • Seven medical workers union members die in auto crash in Kano

    Seven medical workers union members die in auto crash in Kano

    Seven members of Medical and Health Workers Union of Nigeria, including two from Kano were confirmed dead on Tuesday in an auto crash along Kano- Kaduna expressway at Rikolo village, a few kilometers to Zaria.

    The deceased, who were delegates on official trip to Keffi in Nasarawa State to attend a Federal Health Institutions Medical and Health Workers Forum meeting, died when their driver lost control and the vehicle somersaulted before running into a ditch at about 3.00 pm.

    Chairman Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital Branch of the Union, Comrade Serki Adamu Musa, who confirmed the incident,  said six of the deceased died on the spot, while the seventh person died at Ahmadu Bello Teaching Hospital, Chika.

    Comrade Serki Adamu Musa said the delegates include an executive member from National Orthopedics Hospital Dala in Kano and Secretary of the Union at Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital Kano Branch, Comrade Muhammad Ya’u Ibrahim. 

    Others are from Federal Medical Center Nguru, in Yobe state, Federal Medical Center Azare in Bauchi state, Federal Medical Center, Birnin Kudu, Jigawa State, and Federal Medical Center Katsina.

    Musa said other deceased have been taken to their various areas for burial.  The remains of Comrade Muhammad Ya’u Ibrahim  will be buried at 9.00am today (Wednesday) at Dakata within Kano metropolis  .

    Read Also: NYSC to offer free medical services in Zamfara

  • Lagos workers acquire skills for pension administration

    Lagos workers acquire skills for pension administration

    Governments and employers, who fail to accept the welfare of the people as the ultimate law, is at the risk of ruining its stewardships and the trust of the citizens in governance, Governor Akinwunmi Ambode has said.

    He added that employers, who deny this run the undeniable risk of ruining their enterprise, the trust and the devotion of their employees.

    The governor made this statements at the opening session of a workshop tagged: “Vital Interpersonal Skills for Pension Administrators”, organised by the Civil Service Pensions Office (CSPO) of the Lagos State Ministry of Establishments, Training and Pensions in Lagos.

    Ambode, who was represented by Commissioner for Establishments, Training and Pensions, Dr. Akintola Benson, said Lagos State government is one of the most notable governments that believe in this ideal, adding that the unrivalled dedication of the state to the welfare of its workforce both during and after service cannot be overemphasised.

    The commissioner said Governor Ambode mandated his ministry to embark on a continuous training of members of staff of the ministry in order to ensure the delivery of top quality service to officers of the civil service.

    The training, he said, was dedicated to the need to inculcate and sharpen the vital interpersonal skills that officers of the Civil Service Pensions Office require to properly serve pensioners and retirees of the state civil service.

    He said: “In addition to fulfilling my duties charged with the responsibility for ensuring the adequate exposure of the civil service to knowledge on an on going basis, the activities that have been carried out signify and underscore the Governor’s commitment to all matters relating to the welfare of staff, retirees, and pensioners in Lagos State.

    “In aiming to call attention to, and aid the development of, the vital interpersonal skills that are vital for pension administrators, our training will focus on the skills that are not learnt in schools, but are important though, rarely visible. These are the skills that are less tangible, harder to quantify, challenging to teach and, sometimes, difficult to describe. They include attributes such as etiquette, getting along with others, listening and engaging in small talk. Without doubt, these skills are related to the concept of ‘employability’, but they are also related to the concepts of effectiveness and efficiency.”

    He continued:“Clearly, possessing the right attitude to work is a soft skill that is not taught in the universities and other formal schools. This is, therefore, an attempt to help officers of the Civil Service Pensions Office develop the skills that are necessary for success. The training will also fully assist the participating officers to appreciate and acquire the benefits that skills training brings to bear on the attainment of the strategic objectives of the government and the effectiveness of the institutions of the civil service. It will also help pension administrators in the CSPO benefit from having officers, who are able to make critical observations.”

  • Kogi to pay one out of 22 months salary arrears

    Kogi to pay one out of 22 months salary arrears

    The organized Labour in Kogi State has suspended its seven week-old strike following government’s promise to pay workers one month salary out of the 22 months arrears being owed them.

    The decision to call off the strike was announced on Friday in Lokoja during an agreement signing ceremony between the state government and the organized Labour.

    The Deputy Governor, Mr Simon Achuba led the government negotiating team while the Mr Onu Edoka, the state Chairman of the Nigeria Labour Congress ( NLC) led the Labour team.

    The organized Labour had on Sept. 27 called out workers on indefinite strike to protest non-payment of their salary, allowances among  other demands from the government.

    The suspension of the strike was with immediate effect but workers will resume in their various offices on Monday, Nov. 13.

    Edoka,  in a brief remark, said that Labour decided to suspend the strike following an agreement with government on some of their demands.

    He said that the two parties agreed to honour the agreement.

    “The agreement was signed after much consultations by both parties to bring about lasting peace between the workers and government,” the statement said.

    The agreement reads in part that the controversial ‘clock- in and out’ policy will be test run for three months after a which final decision on its desirability will be taken.

    “That on no account would the machine be used to determine the payment of salaries to workers until the Committee of Government and Organized Labour adjudged the efficiency of the machine after the expiration of the three(3) months in February, 2018.

    “That the payment of salary and pension to workers and pensioners respectively for the month of August 2017 would be full and comprehensive ,” they agreed.

    The agreement also stated that pardoned and omitted staff as well as new retirees will be put on the  payroll and paid their full month salary and pension respectively on or before Nov. 17.

    “ All cases of arrears of salaries and pensions will be scheduled for payment as funds are available based on the understanding between Labour and Government,” agreement reads further.

    Other highlights of the agreement shows that both Labour and government also agreed that the 2013 promotions be released immedtely while the process for promotions for 2014, 2015, 2016 and 2017 be put in place.

    Achuba thanked the labour leaders for their understanding and said the government would continue to interface with them regularly.

    He commended Gov. Yahaya Bello for providing the opportunity for the dispute to be resolved amicably. ( NAN)

  • Ex-Nitel/Mtel workers to govt: pay 20 years pension buy-out

    Former workers of Nigerian Telecommunication Limited (NITEL) and its subsidiary, Mobile Telecommunication Limited (Mtel), have appealed to President Muhammadu Buhari to direct the Bureau for Public Enterprise (BPE) and the office of the Accountant General to pay the balance of 20 years pension buy-out and other entitlements owed them.

    Under the auspices of the Association of Former Telecoms Employees of Nigeria (ATEN), they said the payment of severance entitlements to staff members was supposed to be regulated and governed by extant rules and regulations of the International Labour Organisation (ILO), but the BPE relied on the executive fiat of the Obasanjo administration to pay only five years pension buy-out instead of the 25 years buy-out award by the ILO.

    They said the delay in payment as awarded by the liquidation court has forced ATEN to approach the ECOWAS Court of Justice in suit number ECW/CCJ/APP/32/17 for an order of mandamus against the Federal Government and its concerned agencies.

    Speaking on behalf of the workers, ATEN President, Pastor Oluti Gabriel, said: “When the liquidation court was constituted and. inaugurated in 2013, the Incorporated Trustees of Association of Former Telecoms Employees of Nigeria (ATEN) entered the court through the legal representation and secured judgment as Secured/Preferential creditors.

    “The resultant claim for the affected 17,639 former workers totalling N290 billion (Balance of 20 years pension buy-out, 10 per cent entitlement of the sales of non-core assets, insurance) having long been submitted/re-submitted to the government since 2014 for payments.”

    Oluti further disclosed that the parole arrangements by the Minister of Finance through the Pension Transitional Arrangement Directorate (PTAD),  an arrangement that was erroneously ventilated by the acclaimed existence of pensioners prior to liquidation, to place the former workers of Nitel/Mtel on life pension is totally unacceptable to ATEN as it completely negates and violates the liquidation court judgment, which awarded 25 years pension buy-out, as severance payments to all of them both pensioners and disengaged.

  • Surulere Council workers hold forum

    Surulere Council workers hold forum

    The National Union of Local Government Workers (NULGE) in Surelere, Lagos State, has held its quarterly forum. The event coincided with the birthday of the council Chairman, Hon Tajudeen Yussuf Ajide, who attended the event.

    The workers praised the chairman for the progress recorded so far in the council, especially for his welfarist policies. They listed them as: approval of financial assistance to workers; renovation and furnishing of offices; equipping the clinic; provision of a staff bus and making the premises clean, among others.

    Ajide thanked the workers for the honour done him by celebrating with him. He promised to meet the workers’ demands and make their welfare paramount. He urged revenue officers to discharge their duties without fear or favour, and promised to employ more street sweepers and address drivers and guards shortage.

  • Fed Govt’s untidy insurance cover threatens workers, families

    Some families of Federal Government’s workers, who died serving the country, may not be compensated due to the untidy Group Life Insurance Policy (GLIP) cover for workers, it was learnt at the weekend.

    It was gathered that those who sustained injuries in the course of serving the nation, may also not receive compensation, or get good treatment for their injuries.

    According to Brokers under the auspices of the Nigerian Council of Registered Insurance Brokers (NCRIB), only 62 per cent of premium required by insurers from the Federal Government have been paid.

    The cover for the 62 per cent premium, which legally speaking commenced in December 2016, will end in two months, December, 2017.

    Industry analysts say insurance cover under the GLIP has been messy as a result of the disorderly premium payments by the government.

    The no Premium, no cover policy enforced in the insurance industry, however, disallowed insurers from paying benefits or claims when loss of life or injuries occur.

    Commenting on the development, NCRIB President, Sola Tinubu said: “What has happened in the year 2016 is that early this year about 42 per cent of the premium given to us was paid and about 60 days ago another 20 per cent was paid. “So, as at November 1 this year, about 62 per cent of the premium has been paid. It is worthy of note that the policy, which the 62 per cent was paid for, was supposed to have expired in August 2017 because the policy was constituted in August 2016. “But premium did not come until December 2016; meanwhile, underwriters are insisting that the policy started in December last year due to the ‘no premium, no cover’ directive by the regulator.

    “So, legally speaking and effectively, the policy is still in force, but about 40 per cent of the premium is yet to be paid and the policy will expire in December this year.”

    On the fate of employees, who are not covered as a result of the haphazard premium payment, Tinubu said it is the duty of an employer who failed to insure  workers to design how to provide compensation for them and not the concern of the industry.

  • Fed Govt arraigns nine ghost workers suspects in court

    Fed Govt arraigns nine ghost workers suspects in court

    The federal government on Wednesday arraigned nine payroll fraud suspects otherwise known as operators of ghost workers at an Abuja High Court.
    Minister of finance Mrs Kemi Adeosun commended the team running the Presidential Initiative on Continuous Audit (PICA) for detecting pay roll fraud by  nine civil servants suspected to be involved in siphoning public funds by inserting fake workers in the payroll of Federal Ministries.
     
    The nine suspects were arraigned at an Abuja High Court for prosecution by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for allegedly conspiring and inserting fake workers identities into the payrolls of the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Water Resources.  
     
    The nine suspects charged were Usman Aliyu Dayo, Osunlope Opeyemi, Johnson Adedokun, Ojeifo Robert Sylvanus, Oyebade Ebenezer Ayodeji and Florence Olaolu Dada. 
    Others arraigned are Olaolu Haruna Dada, Blessing Ejeh and Aderibigbe Isaac Taiwo. They all pleaded not guilty when the 15-count charge was read to them and their Counsels applied for bail on their behalf.
     
    The charge sheet filed by the EFCC indicated that the alleged fraud was committed at various times between 2011 and 2015.
     
    The Minister described their arraignment as “a welcome development that has given further credibility to the war on corruption by the Administration of President Muhammadu Buhari.” 
     
    The nine suspects who are now standing trial, were alleged to have connived and added ghost workers on the payrolls of the Federal Ministry of Water Resources and siphoned N338,577,678.78 in the name of the non-existent workers.
     
    Mrs. Adeosun vowed that the Federal Government through the Ministry of Finance and the Presidential Initiative on Continuous Audit would intensify efforts to rid the public service of fraudulent persons.
     
    It could be recalled that the Presidential Initiative on Continuous Audit was instituted by the President Muhammadu Buhari-led Administration in 2016 to strengthen the controls over personnel and pension costs. 
  • Aregbesola unhappy about unpaid workers’ full salaries

    Aregbesola unhappy about unpaid workers’ full salaries

    Osun State Governor Rauf Aregbesola has expressed unhappiness over his administration’s inability to pay full salary to civil servants and political appointees.

    Addressing a team of Federal Government on the Digital Switch Over on an advocacy visit to the state, Aregbesola, who was represented by the Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Mr. Adelani Baderinwa, stressed that not all the civil servants were affected by the partial salary payment.

    The governor said the nation’s economic downturn, which was induced by brazen corruption, wanton theft of crude oil and mismanagement of resources by the former Federal Government under the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), put the state in its current economic doldrums.

    He said no reasonable person or government would be happy for being incapable of performing his or its responsibility.

    Aregbesola said: “We are not happy paying modulated salary to civil servants and political appointees. We are compelled by the financial reality; we are constrained.

    “Contrary to the lies you are being fed with, it is not all our workers that receive half salaries. Workers on levels One to Seven, being the most vulnerable and the largest chunk of the workforce, get full salaries. Workers on levels Eight to 11 showed understanding with the government to accept 75 per cent of their salaries.

    “It is only workers on Grade Level 12 and upwards that receive 50 per cent of their salaries. The workers have shown maturity, support and understanding. We acknowledge and appreciate the sacrifice and support of the workers.”

    Aregbesola said the financial burden on his administration was to enable it provide massive infrastructure to transform the state and develop it economically.

    The governor said Osogbo, the state capital, needed infrastructural development to have a look of a modern state capital.

    He said: “Before our government, Osogbo roads were very narrow. Since there was no development, there was no heavy traffic and the roads accommodated the users. However, there was an influx of people to the state since our administration came on board. There was a heavy traffic on Osogbo roads and they could not accommodate the heavy traffic anymore.

    “We started construction of new roads and rehabilitation of some existing ones to ease traffic. As a visionary government, we know that by the time our economic plan begins to grow, Osogbo roads would become busier. So, we come up with the construction of Osogbo East bypass road. The road has four big bridges.

    “Anybody who does not have business in Osogbo will take the road to various destinations. This will reduce the traffic on Osogbo township roads. We built the road for economic purposes. People who are narrow in thinking do not know that.

    “We know that things are hard and the state is passing through financial difficulty. But we are undeterred by the challenges. Our credo is to see that our people explore their freedom for economic prosperity.

    “Our joy is that we will leave a legacy that will transform into economic prosperity for the people and the state. Like the credo of our mentor, the late Premier of the defunct Western Region, Chief Obafemi Awolowo, we want freedom for all, life more abundant.”

  • Lagos trains workers on new strategies to curb terminal diseases

    Lagos State government has begun training for commissioners, special advisers and civil servants on new strategies to prevent diseases, especially terminal ones.

    It expressed concerns that a large percent of workers do not know their health status and a healthy workforce is a productive one.

    Senior Special Assistant to the Governor Akinwunmi Ambode on Health Matters, Dr. Shola Pitan, in a chat with newsmen at the health engagement campaign, disclosed that Governor  Ambode believed that the best solution to have a healthy workforce was to ensure that workers are aware of their health status.

    He said: “The Body of Permanent Secretaries was the first group and the following week, we continued with state Executive Council. After that, we moved to the civil servants of different grade levels. The activity will also be extended to the security officials.”

    The Special Assistant stressed that beyond training on diabetes, cancer and other terminal diseases, workers would be trained on how best to provide first aid treatment to colleagues, who suffer injuries or heart attack at work before rescue health workers arrive the scene.

    “For one to have people working in a place, we know that accident happens, and beyond that, we know that people can have one challenge or the other, which they aren’t aware off. And if that health challenge comes up, someone should be enlightened enough to assist before they call on the doctor or ambulance.

    “Research has shown that if someone has heart attack, before the doctor arrives, it takes some time. There will be need for people within that location to intervene by giving that person cardio-pulmonary resuscitation by using the machine called defibrillator, which sends electronic signals to the heart. If that is done within first two minutes, that person will have at least 60 per cent chance of survival,” he added.

    He continued:“In order to achieve this, considering the huge workforce,  government has decided to appoint health captains, who will provide first aid treatment whenever the unforeseen health issue occurs.

    “Beyond that, if one sustains injury at work, how can someone within that location assist immediately? The workforce is a community and there is need to cater for them.

    “We will have health captains in each office, such person must have undergone first aid training. And the reason is that if anything happens, such person can assist immediately.”

  • ‘Kogi workers now internally displaced’

    ‘Kogi workers now internally displaced’

    The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) on Wednesday said that the Congress will soon present the position of Nigerian workers on the ongoing debate on restructuring and devolution of power, just as it accused Kogi state governor, Yahaya Bello of transforming workers in the state into Internally Displaced Workers.

    NLC President, Comrade Ayuba Wabba who spoke while receiving the report of its committee on restructuring said the various organs of the party will study the report and present to Nigerians the position of Nigerian workers which they will canvass and defend at all times.

    He said that the Congress will interface with civil society organizations and the National Assembly to give voice to the position of workers.

    He said: “Restructuring is not only important to the Congress, but the entire Nigerian society and so the importance of the subject matter necessitated us creating a platform to engage the issue. A lot of Nigerians attended that forum and made their position known.

    “This committee was put in place to collate the recommendations with a view to presenting the working class perspective on the entire discourse around restructuring. This is important because there has been a lot of approaches and recommendations on how to approach the issue of restructuring and devolution of power.

    “We feel that workers need to be represented in the debate and their perspective heard because they need to have a position which they will defend and propagate.

    “The entire organs of the Congress will study the recommendations s and at the end of the day, it will come up with a position that Nigerian workers will canvass across the length and breadth of this country as the position of the working class and their families as well as pensioners. This first step and ultimately is to get to our National Executive Council where a decision will be taken.”

    On the demand for accountability and good governance, Wabba said “the NLC is the first Organisation to led two national rallies to demand for accountability and we will not stop at that. We will do whatever it takes, including calling names and even after they have left office, the process of investigating the, must be on. Some of them enjoy immunity no, but it will not be forever. Therefore it is going to be an ongoing process.

    “You may be aware that we have taken this fight from one state to another because it is also good to priories. Some of the governors have done well and we have tried to encourage them, but some have done extremely bad in terms of managing these resources.

    “We are going to name and shame them and you are aware that we have started that. We have visited some of them and have even identified how many months they are owing workers, including pensioners and we are not going to stop until we get a better deal for Nigerian workers and pensioners.

    “We must continue to canvass for issues of good governance because a lot of them are hiding under the fact that the fight against corruption has not been taken with much enthusiasm to the level of states. That is why some of those issues are still happening. We have all it takes to drive the process to that level and we will continue in that manner.”

    Speaking on the development in Kogi state, he accused the state governor of turning civil servants in the state into destitute and appealed to Nigerians to send relief materials to the workers who he said are dying daily.

    He said that Nigerians will recall that when the issue transparency and accountability was raised on the floor of the state house of assembly regarding the Paris club refund and why workers are not been paid, thugs were brought to harass and beat up members.

    He said that the current state of workers in the state “require our collective urgent attention and organised Labour is going to respond promptly. The Minister of Labour has tried to intervene by calling a tripartite meeting, the governor has refused to attend any of such meetings and no official of the state government has responded to any of those meetings.

    “We are looking at this issue as a test case. Nobody should be seen to be above the law and so, if the law says a worker is entitled to be paid after 30 days, anything after that is an act of illegality and must be condemned. We are going to mobilize our structure across the country and visit the state.

    “We learnt that he like using thugs so much, we will be ready for him. We want to send the signal that workers should not be taken for granted. Good governance entails that every structure and every person in authority must be accountable, must be responsible and be able to put issues in perspective and provide a level playing ground where those issues can be resolved.

    “But he has proven that he is not ready for dialogue, but that he is ready to ensure that these poor workers and pensioners will continue to be impoverished. We will give our people the required support because already, these people are already Internally displaced workers and so, we call on Nigerians from all works of life to send relief materials to those workers who are dying aimlessly. Nigerians should be their brother’s keepers because this is an act of irresponsibility and so, we must respond effectively to this issue.”