The Nation Newspaper

Tag: workers

  • Group decries poor treatment of workers

    Human Capital Providers Association of Nigeria, (HuCaPAN) has criticised the  way some employers treat their workers, describing it a violation of labour laws.

    Speaking at the yearly general meeting of the group in Lagos, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Labour and Employment, Dr. Clement Illoh, said protection of the human rights and absence of social protection at work were other impediments to decent work.

    He noted that these have led to the inability of some employers to retain their workers and pay minimum wage.

    He advised private employment agencies to comply with labour laws by enforcing safety in workplaces, ensuring employee compensation and payment of minimum wages.

    While pointing out the role of the group in promoting decent work agenda, he said: “To what extent are you training your people? There are workers without boundaries as a result of globalisation. How are you moving with respect to the new forms of work? To what extent are you contributing to sanctions, monitoring ad rewards for employment?”

    The permanent secretary praised the association for being effective, despite the economic challenges in the country.

  • Workers seek popular policies to tackle poverty

    The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has urged government to create people-oriented policies to reduce poverty.

    Its Vice President, Amaechi Asugwani, said workers have appealed many times to the government to make positive changes that would impact on people.

    According to Asugwani, creating friendly policies will reduce poverty. He said Nigerians were worried about the increasing costs of food, goods and services without a corresponding increase in salaries.

    “We are demanding for a change. They promised us food, jobs, stable power supply but none has been done. The government should be sensitive to the plight of the people. It has not increased the salaries of workers and many companies have closed because of poor power supply,” he said.

    Asugwani urged the Federal Government to create policies that would reduce the suffering of the masses and put food on their table.

    In a related development, the Technical Committee on Palliatives, which is to come up with the modalities and framework of the Tripartite Committee on Minimum Wage has submitted its report to the Federal Government.

    The Minister of Labour and Productivity, Senator Chris Ngige, said the Technical Committee was to have submitted the report but for the grey areas in it.

    He said the grey areas needed to be fine-tuned before the submission of the very important report, which would signal the commencement of negotiation on the new national minimum wage.

    Ngige said the next move would be determined by the report of the committee. He pointed out that the Tripartite Committee on minimum wage would be constituted based on the Technical Committee’s report.

    The committee, which will comprise the government, employers and labour, will negotiate a desirable national minimum wage, the least an employer should pay a worker in the country.

  • Wema Bank workers donate salaries to sick children

    Wema Bank workers donate salaries to sick children

    Wema Bank Plc says it staff have donated their February salaries for the treatment of children in emergency wards of three government-owned hospitals across the country.

    Segun Oloketuyi, Managing Director/CEO, Wema Bank Plc, while presenting a cheque to one of the beneficiaries at the Children Emergency Ward of the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), said the initiative started in 2016.

    According to him, other beneficiaries are patients at the Children’s emergency ward at the Braithwaite Memorial Specialist Hospital, Old GRA, Port Harcourt and the Wuse General Hospital, Abuja.

    Oloketuyi said the initiative called “Purple Nectar,’’ was designed to touch the lives of people in communities where the bank operates.

    “It involves each interested staff donating a day’s Salary for Love as a way of celebrating St. Valentine’s Day.

    “Every 14th of February, the world celebrates St. Valentine’s Day. Usually, couples go out on this day as a way of showing love to each other.

    “But at Wema Bank, we decided that while it is fine for couples to show love to each other on this day, our focus as a bank should be on showing love to those who need it but are not getting it.

    “Some are in critical situations and they need all the help they can get.

    “In our own little way of showing love, the staff of Wema Bank decided to put their salaries for that particular day (February 14) together and looked for people who need our love.

    “The demonstration of this love is to support those who need help, especially in health-related issues,” Oloketuyi said.

    The mother of a 7-month-old baby who benefitted from the initiative, Mrs Ngene broke down in tears as the Wema Bank presented a cheque to her.

    Ngene thanked the staff of Wema Bank for the kind gesture. (NAN)

  • Workers to get 13 months’ salary arrears

    Newly elected National President of Agriculture and Allied Employees Union of Nigeria (AAEUN), Obafemi Oyenubi, has said he would pay the 13 months’ salary arrears and allowances owed workers within two months of his administration.

    He disclosed this during a visit to the secretariat of the Lagos  State’s Council Union of Journalists. He expressed the concern at the sufferings the workers were facing as result of non-payment of their salaries and allowances by the past leaders.

    He praised the workers, who he said, had shown great commitment to their job, adding that they are truly Nigerians who survived regardless their predicament.

    Meanwhile, Oyenubi  has applauded the Federal Government under the watch of President Muhammadu Buhari for he described as seriously looking at how agriculture could serve as an alternative source of income for the country.

    Oyenubi said: “We are happy that this government would involve our union at a time when the nation is in a critical situation. We will support the government by means of making objective policies and advice to the government.’’

  • ExxonMobil fires additional 89 workers in Nigeria

    ExxonMobil fires additional 89 workers in Nigeria

    U.S. oil major ExxonMobil has laid off additional 89 workers in a gale of retrenchments that started in the company last year.

    A top source in the company made the disclosure in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) at Mkpanak in the Ibeno Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom on Tuesday.

    The source revealed that 60 regular workers and 29 contract workers were affected in the latest retrenchment, involving mainly workers at the company’s Qua Iboe Terminal.

    According to the source, who pleaded anonymity because he is not authorised to speak on the issue, more workers may be shown the exit door in the next two months, due to cut in production and other issues.

    The source said the retrenched workers had been paid their terminal benefits running into millions of naira.

    “The amount paid is commensurate with the number of years put in by each of the affected workers.

    “The department mostly affected include public affairs, general services and logistics,’’ the source added.

    One of the retrenched workers, Mr Nsikak Ekwere, told NAN that he still had eight more years to work with the company but was surprised to see his name among the retrenched workers.

    He blamed the retrenchment on the current economic situation in Nigeria, saying that he would make good use of his terminal benefits to create employment for himself.

    NAN recalls that no fewer than 250 workers of the company were laid off between January and November last year.

    On Dec. 15 last year, the company’s Lagos office was shut down, following a tense standoff between workers and the company’s management over retrenchment issues.

    Oil companies in Nigeria have resorted to laying-off workers since Nigeria entered a crippling recession that has dealt a severe blow to the economy of Africa’s top oil producer.

    The Manager, Media and Communications of ExxonMobil, Mr Ogechukwu Udeagha, did not respond to calls on the issue.

    He also did not respond to text messages sent to his mobile phone. (NAN)

  • Maritime workers protest bad roads

    Maritime workers protest bad roads

    Workers in the maritime sector have called for the immediate rehabilitation of roads leading to Apapa Port to save businesses from total collapse.

    The workers, under the auspices of the Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria (MWUN), dressed in white shirts and trousers, staged a protest at the first gate leading to the port, with placards to express their displeasure in solidarity with their outgoing President, Mr Anthony Nted.

    Some of the placards read: “Our leaders are accountable and transparent’’. “We pass vote of confidence on our leaders” and “No fracas, no friction, we are one union”.

    The workers advised the Federal Government to encourage terminal operators to repair the roads leading into the ports and provide tools for their jobs.

    A dockworker, Mr Samuel Golden, said lack of access to the port and non-functional equipment were  major hindrances to them.

    He said: “One of the workers was killed in 2016 on a commercial motorcycle when the driver of a trailer was trying to make a turn. If the road was good, the accident would not have happened.

    “We need tools to do our jobs efficiently, the beam is not working well  and we need replacement of some of the equipment.”

    Another worker, Mr Femi Adekoya, said workers at the port lacked sufficient protective gadgets to perform their duty.

    “We do our jobs without kits such as protective shoes and others that will help to guard a worker in case accident occurs,”  Adekoya lamented.

    However, Nigeria Ports Authority (NPA) Chairman Mr Edward Okpoto, who spoke on Nted’s administration, praised him for ensuring that industrial crisis was no longer prevalent at the port.

    Okpoto said the outgoing president encouraged workers through training at the local and international levels.

    Also, Mr Adeleke Sanni, the NPA branch president, who read a solidarity and commendation letter for Nted, said the labour leader had passion for workers’ right.

    Sanni said the outgoing president maintained peace among the workers and trained 6,000, out of which 180 travelled to other parts of the country to enhance their skills.

    He said in spite of malicious accusations by some people in the sector, Nted brought credibility to dock workers and ensured that they had a good condition of service.

    Receiving the commendation letter in his office, Nted urged the workers to remain peaceful to boost productivity at the port.

    He said the forthcoming MWUN election would be free and fair as nobody had the right to impose any leader on the people.

  • CAC workers on three-day strike

    CAC workers on three-day strike

    The Amalgamation Union of Public Corporations, Civil Service, Technical and Recreation Service Employees (AUPTRE) Corporate Affairs Commissions (CAC) branch, has embarked on a three-day warning strike to push home their demands which were made four years ago and have not been fulfilled by the commission’s management.

    Its Chairman, Comrade Ibrahim Kirfi disclosed this during the strike action in Abuja, which led to the locking of the CAC gate and disallowing customers, workers, and other people entering or coming out of the premises.

    He said: “Four years down the line, management has failed to implement the content of this agreement and has not shown any intention to do so. The long period of the non- implementation of the agreement hiding under the pretext of unnecessary bureaucracy, management had in other different ways. It continued to deprive staff of their rightful entitlements while in their eyes, these monies are spent on so many unwarranted things.

    “The last thing that precipated this strike action was the refusal to attend to our demand after series of negotiations and consultations with management that later led to an issuance of a seven-day notice and another 14-day notice of an industrial strike commencin 15th February 2017.

    “It is pertinent to state at this juncture that having examined the spending pattern of the commission, it is expedient to re-present our demands.”

  • Lagos workers get leadership training

    The Lagos State Commissioner for Establishments, Training and Pensions, Dr Benson Akintola has tasked public service officers to be visionary leaders.

    He said this during the opening of a three-day leadership and business communication training for selected officers of the State’s public service.

    Akintola said: “Only strong and trained leaders can envision the right and appropriate future for organisations. Where leaders do not possess the attitude, aptitude and skills that are relevant for the times, they become fundamentally flawed in any attempt to craft a beneficial and compelling vision for their organisations.”

    He called on the officers to develop excellent communication, listening, among other skills, to inspire their followers to build excellent institutions in the public service.

    “I agree with the facilitators of this training that an effective leader must be able to act as a communication champion and a sense giver rather than just as an information processor; must be able to use key elements of effective listening; utilize candor to appropriately improve communication effectiveness and recognize and apply the difference between dialogue and discussion; be equipped to incorporate metaphor and storytelling into leadership communications; select an appropriate communication channel for the message and effectively use social media and non-verbal communication. Furthermore, and perhaps, most essentially, he or she must be able to effectively communicate during times of stress or crisis,” Dr Akintola noted.

    He was optimistic that Dr Olaniran Fafowora and Mrs Shade Odebiyi, who led the facilitation of the training, would adequately coach the workers.

    “At the end of the day, our primary duty, as public servants, is to deliver value for the people of this state. His Excellency, Governor Akinwunmi Ambode is passionately dedicated to this purpose. The Ministry of Establishments, Training and Pensions under my leadership is irreversibly dedicated to enlarging and expanding the scope of trainings for the people who can help deliver this value and I call on you all to open your hearts and minds to learn the skills that are vital and indispensable for this purpose,” he said.

  • Skye Bank promotes 300 workers

    Skye Bank promotes 300 workers

    Skye Bank has announced the promotion of over 300 workers after last year’s annual  performance review.

    The promotion, which cuts across cadres of staff up to managerial level, is in line with the bank’s effort to reward staff who performed creditably in their various roles during the past financial year.

    The bank also announced that it compensated some staff in the senior management cadre with monetary reward for their diligence and productivity while a handful of staff who failed in the performance appraisal were kicked out.

    The management of the bank has since approved payment of the entitlement and severance packages to the exited staff as contained in their engagement letters and as agreed with the workers union.

    While announcing the outcome of the yearly performance exercise, the bank’s Group Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, Tokunbo Abiru, congratulated all staff of the bank on their hard work in the last financial year, especially given the challenging operating environment.

    According to him, “We will continue to reward our staff who display high level of commitment towards their responsibilities and the bank’s strategic objectives.”

    Abiru continued: “A performance-driven organisation is critical to the achievement of the bank’s overarching objectives.”

  • Why we sacked 579 workers, by Plateau govt

    Why we sacked 579 workers, by Plateau govt

    •Asks Fed Govt for N14.5b refund 

    The Plateau State government has explained why it dismissed 579 workers from its employ.
    Commissioner for Information and Communication Muhammad Nazif, who led his colleagues on the monthly ministerial news conference, said the affected workers were sacked for genuine reasons.
    His words: “Some of the workers were dismissed for lack of proper documentation of their employment, years of service and stages of promotions.
    “Others failed to explain why they got accelerated promotion above their colleagues with no relevant qualification; that amounts to cheating as they enjoyed undue advantages in the past which is against civil service rules and provisions.
    “Some others do not exist. Some names appeared on the payroll but they did not show up when called upon, so they were categorised as ghosts and had to be flushed out accordingly.
    “The fourth category is some that have overstayed the statutory years of service and should have retired. This category of workers must have forged their service records to extend their stay.
    “We did not only sack them, some of them have refund money benefited by cheating. Hence, for staying in service beyond their terminal dates, 101 of the sacked workers have refunded over N76 million to the government.
    “Government made these discoveries through the Biometric Verification Number (BVN) screening and those affected could not fault government because the process was transparent. Anyone who felt cheated was encouraged to challenge government in court.”
    The government has appealed to the Federal Government to refund it N14.5 billion, being the money spent on federal roads.
    Commissioner for Works and Transport Pam Dungs made the appeal yesterday during the ministerial press briefing at the Joseph Gomwalk secretariat in Jos.
    “The problem of the state is fund; we don’t have enough cash to mobilise the contractors to hasten construction.
    “Meanwhile, the Federal Government owes us over N14 billion which we spent in building federal roads.
    “If the Federal Government had refunded the money, we would have used it to provide other social amenities and execute capital projects.
    “We, therefore, send a passionate appeal to the Federal Government to pay this debt as soon as possible.