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Tag: workers

  • District workers walk for fitness

    District workers walk for fitness

    rincipals, administrative officers and directors of the Lagos State Education District II took a break from educational administration to walk for fitness last Tuesday.

    They walked and danced from the District headquarters within the Maryland Schools’ complex through Mende and Mobolaji Bank Anthony back to Maryland.

    The exercise was led by the Tutor-General permanent Secretary of the district, Mrs Titilayo Solarin, who said she organised the walk for the first time in the history of the district to improve the health of the principals and directors and enhance their productivity.

    “We realised that people have not been exercising recently and as a result there is so much illness; officers are not performing well.  I think that a healthy body should be able to perform well and that’s why we are organising this for the first time in this district.

    “We also organised free health checks for our officers and principals.  We have done it before for teachers and other staff and we still hope to organise such a thing again,” she said.

    She promised to make it a monthly exercise.  After the walk, she thanked the participants drawn from Kosofe, Somolu and Ikorodu zones as well as the officers from the district headquarters for taking their time off work to walk for health.

    Mrs Ramota Dairo, Director, Co-curricular Services, was particularly happy about the initiative because it falls within her area of specialisation, Physical and Health Education. She said the walk would be followed by aerobics in future.

    “We want to encourage our teachers and workers that at their own free time they should continue to do this.  Apart from this we are planning aerobics programmes for our workers and that one is only dance,” she said.

    Principal of Community Senior Secondary School, Bayeku, Ikorodu, Mrs Flora Kara, said the programme served not only to recharge their batteries but to network with colleagues they had not seen for long.

    “This initiative is a very good one because most times we don’t have time to exercise.  But with this, compulsorily we have done it and we enjoyed it as a group. We danced, we walked and we are looking healthy.  We benefited not only regarding fitness but networking.  For example some of us have not seen for a long period of time. I am from Ikorodu; some are from Somolu; some are from Kosofe. It has brought us together to interact with one another,” she said.

     

  • Varsity workers to Fed Govt: we’re dying

    Varsity workers to Fed Govt: we’re dying

    The Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) and Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions (NASU), University of Ibadan (UI) chapter have appealed to the Federal Government to pay their salaries.

    The Chairman of SSUNU, UI chapter, Comrade Wale Akinremi, spoke with reporters at the weekend.

    He said life has not been easy for the workers in the university because  of the shortfall in payment of salaries.

    According to him, the development has affected school system because the workers are psychologically unbalanced due to heavy indebtedness of bank loans and inability to take care of their homes.

    He added that the university workers have been suffering from this since December last year while their counterparts in other universities who are in similar circumstance have resolved the issue.

    Akinremi wondered why only workers of the University of Ibadan are experiencing hardship coupled with lack of incentives while he said the workers are not willing to go on strike but if situation don’t improve, they willing resort to strike.

    Also speaking, the Chairman NASU of the university, Comrade Oluwasegun Arojo, said there is no assurance that the Federal Government would be able to pay debts.

    Arojo said the university workers have reliably confirmed that the shortfall from the Federal Government is 92 per cent but the workers are only receiving only 50 per cent of salaries.

  • NLC to Mimiko, Fayose: non-payment of workers’ salaries a crime

    The Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) at the weekend told governors of Ondo and Ekiti states that non-payment of salaries to workers is a crime.

    In separate letters to Ondo State Governor Olusegun Mimiko and his Ekiti State counterpart, Ayodele Fayose, NLC President Ayuba Wabba said though the congress was aware of the economic challenges facing the country, it was not an excuse to owe workers and pensioners.

    Wabba, in his letter to Mimiko, said: “We are not unaware of the present socio-economic challenges in the country.  However, in our estimation, this should not be an acceptable reason for not paying five months salaries and pensions at the level of the state, and four months salaries and pensions at the level of local government and teachers.

    “Sir, you do not need a lecture from anyone to know that non-payment of salaries and pensions for months on end, constitutes a crime against the workers, pensioners and their families, whose lives and obligation to man and God and their sense of self-worth have been put in jeopardy.

    “As one with activist background and one with whom we have had collaboration, these issues are clear and self-evident, and therefore need no belabouring.

    “Your excellency, in these difficult moments in our nation, we no doubt have limited choices, but choices, all the same.  One of these choices is to take a critical look at government expenditure, especially in the areas of political appointments, patronage and allied costs.

    “We similarly call for the renewed drive in the internally-generated revenue.  We have reason to believe that when these initiatives are complimented by the bail-out funds released by the Federal Government, the twin issues of salaries and pensions will not be such a burden.

    “As we noted in our letter to you on the 40th anniversary celebration of Ondo State, you have left a legacy.  We urge you to do all that is necessary to sustain this legacy.  Accordingly, we will not relent in urging you to put in motion the necessary logistics for the commencement of the payment of these salaries and pensions”.

    Wabba also asked Fayose to take steps to bring the strike to an end.

    He said the congress was ready to act as a mediator between the striking workers and the state government to find a solution to the dispute.

    “The issues that led to this strike action are well-known to you and include the non-payment of five months’ salary arrears and pensions; non-implementation of promotion report since 2014; issues around staff verification exercise in 2015; and refusal of government to disclose the actual monthly IGR.

    “We are not unconcerned about the prevailing socio-economic challenges in the polity.  In our view, however, this does not constitute an acceptable rationale for owing workers and pensioners for so long.  A labourer, the Holy Books, tell us, deserves his wages.  Stripped of his wages, he is reduced to a slave without rights or privileges.

    “In the instant case, the workers and pensioners in the state have been pulverised into submission due to the default in the payment of their salaries and pensions to the extent that they are unable to perform their obligations to God, man and the state.

    “We believe this painful situation could be minimised, if not entirely reduced, if government gives consideration to managing the cost of governance, raising the IGR profile and appropriately applying the bail-out funds given by the Federal Government.

    “We urge you to bring this strike action speedily to an end by commencing the process of payment and establishing a platform for dialogue at which the leadership of the workers at the state level could be availed of what accrues to the coffers of the state monthly.

  • Workers, APC kick against governor’s solidarity strike

    The striking workers in Ekiti State and the state All Progressives Congress (APC) have kicked against a solidarity strike declared by Governor Ayodele Fayose on Friday.

    The workers told the governor that all they needed from him “is the five months’ arrears of salaries” owed them and not “a solidarity strike”.

    The aggrieved workers said they would appreciate if Fayose pays at least three months from the arrears owed, rather than trivialising the grave situation by going on strike in solidarity with them.

    Fayose had in a broadcast on Friday told a bemused people of the state that he had placed himself on an indefinite strike to show concern and sympathy with the workers.

    Workers under the auspices of the state councils of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Trade Union Congress (TUC) and Joint Negotiating Council (JNC) had commenced an indefinite strike action to press home the payment of the salary arrears and December 2015 deductions.

    The state TUC Chairman, Odunayo Adesoye, in an interview with reporters yesterday, said the situation of civil servants has become very pathetic as many of them had resorted to begging to survive.

    Adesoye said: “We appreciate the governor for sharing from our pains and anguish. But the workers will appreciate and commend him the more if he can pay at least two or three months salaries out of five months owed.

    “Our situation has gone beyond the governor declaring mere solidarity strike. We need more of actions now than talks because our situation is gradually becoming hopeless.”

    The state APC described the decision of Fayose to “go on strike” as a “mockery of the suffering caused by him and which he obviously enjoys.”

    The party, in its reaction to the governor’s broadcast, said the action portrayed him as “an unserious leader not prepared for the challenges of governance.”

    In a statement yesterday by its Publicity Secretary, Taiwo Olatunbosun, the APC advised Fayose to resign from office rather than entertaining the people of the state with what it called “moonlight drama”.

    Describing Fayose’s conduct as “a height of insensitivity of a callous leader, the APC said his action spoke much about his personality as “a man bereft of finesse to be entrusted with the leadership of the people for development”.

  • Fayose: why l’m unable to pay workers

    Fayose: why l’m unable to pay workers

    •Ekiti governor writes NLC

    Ekiti State Governor Ayodele Fayose has replied the President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Ayuba Wabba, attributing the state’s inability to pay workers salary regularly to the current downturn in the nation’s economy and the heavy loan burden left by his predecessor.

    The governor, in his response to the NLC President’s letter on the ongoing workers strike in the State, called on the NLC to join the advocacy for fiscal restructuring in Nigeria with a view to reviewing the federation allocation formula in favour of states, towards a lasting solution to the palpable indigent status of most states.

    The letter reads: “I write to acknowledge your correspondence on the current strike action by workers in Ekiti State and I thank you for the expression of concern for the welfare of workers and suggestions on boosting internally generated revenue.

    “I want to state clearly that the issues listed in the statement represent the claims of the leadership of Labour in Ekiti State upon which their rather hasty resort to industrial action was premised.

    Government does not agree with most of the  issues, as stated by labour, and had since commenced dialogue with them. The discussions are ongoing and I hope that ressolution(s) will be achieved soon.

    “Let me put on record, the demonstrable commitment of my Government to governance principles of accountability, transparency and commitment to the welfare of workers.

    “It is an open secret that I paid workers on or before the 22nd of each month during my first tenure.

    “It is also known that the current economic downturn is a national issue and consequently the inability of most state governments to meet wage obligations as at when due.

    “Our case is further made more precarious in Ekiti State by the heavy burden of debt left by the immediate past APC government on which over N1 billion is being deducted from the state allocation monthly.”

  • ‘Labour leaders’ feud not in workers’ interest’

    ‘Labour leaders’ feud not in workers’ interest’

    Feuding labour leaders have been asked to sheathe their swords and be united to fight a common cause.

    Garment and Tailoring Workers of Nigeria (NUTGTWN) Secretary-General Isa Aremu said the labour leaders’ squabble was doing unionism no good.

    Unless they close ranks and work together, the oppressors of workers would continue to have their way, Aremu said.

    Speaking with The Nation, he called for a truce among industrial unions affiliated to Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC).

    Lamenting the failure of unions to take a unanimous decision on the fuel price hike, Aremu urged them to work together as comrades and not as enemies in the interest of workers.

    “We regret that as we point two  fingers at bad governance and bad employers, the remaining three fingers point at us too, who are unacceptably divided against ourselves rather than united against a common class enemy.

    “It’s time we closed ranks to ensure we have a labour movement that commands the confidence of workers; trusted by the public, respected by the government and employers,” he said.

    Aremu urged unions to learn from the fall out of the fuel price hike and unite for a vibrant labour movement.

    He said: “If we operate separately, we will be defeated separately. But if we operate in unity, we will triumph as one. The recent 70 per cent fuel increase is indiscriminate in its price impact on transport cost and cost of living in general. The response of organised labour must, therefore, be inclusive and uniform, not disjointed as we recently witnessed.

    “The worsening poverty, rising inflation, job losses and bad governance must task our imaginations as labour leaders to work as one, instead of seeking positions for recognitions from governments and employers that do not deliver tangible results for the working men and women.”

  • Trade dispute: workers urge govt to intervene

    Organised labour has urged the Federal Government to prevail upon, Game Discount World Nigeria Limited, to comply with a court judgment that mandated workers to be unionised in its Nigeria offices.

    The firm is a subsidiary of MASS Discounters whose head office is in South Africa.

    The workers, under the auspices of Shop and Distributive Trade Senior Staff Association (SHOPDIS), said despite two judgments from the Industrial Arbitration Panel (IAP) and National Industrial Court (NIC), Abuja, to allow unionism, the management of the company has restrained workers from joining their unions.

    This, according to the association, is an infringement on their rights.

    Speaking with newsmen in Lagos, the General Secretary of SHOPDIS, Comrade Ola Oyegoke, decried the union’s ordeal. He said since 2010 when the association met to give the workers a platform for collective bargaining as a basis for regulating their condition of service, the management had shown that it has no respect for Nigeria’s laws.

    Oyegoke said SHOPDIS, in 2014, got an award over a trade dispute declared against Game management on the non-recognition of the union as a representative of the senior staff of the company who have signed membership authorisation forms, which were forwarded to the management since April 2010.

    “Though the management appealed against the judgment, the NIC in its ruling by Justice Isele in November last year, upheld the IAP award,” Oyegoke said.

    He said upon the NIC judgment in November last year, the union wrote the management of its plan to inaugurate the branch, but Game in a letter from its parent body and signed by Blake Walker, Legal Specialist: Africa Mass Discounters, replied the union that it could not permit the formal inauguration.

    Oyegoke said it was a ploy by the management to continue to enslave its members. He charged the Minister of Labour, Senator Chris Ngige to wade into the matter, as it believes in peaceful resolution rather than confrontation.

  • 10 months’ unpaid salaries: Kwara workers begin strike

    The Committee of Unions of Tertiary Institutions (CUTI) comprising COLAASU, SSUCOEN and NASU Kwara State College of Arabic and Islamic Legal Studies (CAILS) chapter has condemned the neglect of workers of its institutions by the state government.

    The association said since the state government had refused to fulfill its part of the agreement reached following the four months strike, they decided to embark on an indefinite strike until their salary arrears were cleared.

    A statement from the group signed by its chairman, Comrade Mohammed Umar Faruq, and its secretary, Comrade Usman K Ali, said: “Sequel to the suspension of the four month strike action by CUTI on 18th February, 2016 following the intervention by stakeholders and the acceptance of responsibility by the state government to pay salary arrears according to the management, the staff are still being owed from August, 2015 till date.

    “We have over time endured non-implementation of annual increments, non-monetisation of 2013 promotion, non-implementation of 2014 and 2015 promotions and non-implementation of 2013 migration of concerned staff.

    “Our members can no longer withstand the predicament caused by the above situations. In view of the above at the congress held last week Wednesday, it was resolved that the management must effect all the above prayers on or before Friday, particularly payment of 10 months outstanding salaries or be left with no option from the staff than to immediately resume the suspended strike action”, the statement read

    Meanwhile, the workers of the Kwara State College of Education, Oro have also begun an indefinite strike over unpaid eight months salary arrears.

  • Ecobank Nigeria sacks 1,040 workers

    Ecobank Nigeria sacks 1,040 workers

    Ecobank Nigeria Limited yesterday sacked  1,040 of its workforce, The Nation has learnt.

    The 1,040, fell short of initial 1,400 slated for sack by management, following a review of the maiden list, a source said.

    Investigation revealed that the affected staff were those that achieved less than 40 per cent of their performance target, which have affected the lender’s overall profitability in recent years.

    The downsising, which cuts across all cadres of its workforce including junior, middle and top management positions, is happening at a time majority of banks are battling with poor profitability over harsh economic conditions and heightened business risks from the  plunge in crude oil prices. Ecobank Nigeria is taking this measure to shore-up its dwindling profitability due to its exposure to oil sector loans.

    Ecobank Nigeria is a member of the Ecobank Group which as at March 31, this year, employs nearly 19,142 people from 40 different countries. Ecobank Nigeria alone has over 9,000 staff, which over 46 per cent of the entire workforce for the group.

    The lender however, converted over 200 outsourced personnel to permanent employees, to enable them enhance their contributions to its bottom-line. The bank also reassigned many other employees to new roles for improved efficiency.

    In a statement released yesterday, Ecobank Nigeria’s Managing Director, Charles Kie, said converting qualified outsourced staff to permanent positions is in line with the lender’s commitment to develop and grow talent by nurturing its people along their career paths. For him, it was also an opportunity to give the employees access to higher responsibilities.

    According to Kie, the bank in its renewed drive for optimal performance has, in addition realigned certain roles bank wide to ensure improved efficiency.

    “This necessitated the exits of some staff who were adequately compensated and is in furtherance of a market repositioning exercise designed to strengthen the bank’s business across all markets where it operates.

    The bank chief assured on the readiness of the lender to recognize and reward excellence will drive the bank’s goal of achieving exceptional performance in the industry.

    “We understand that people are our key asset, so we have emphasized the need to reward our best performers, continue to re-invigorate our people while also opening up new opportunities for talented, committed people to join us as permanent employees,” he said.

    “At the same time, based on our repositioning plan, we had to disengage some staff while ensuring that, in line with industry standards, they are treated fairly”. He maintained that Ecobank is an institution where high professional culture, exceptional performance, innovativeness and professionalism are recognized, nurtured and rewarded”.

    Ecobank Group’s gross earnings were down five per cent to $660.1 million in the first quarter of this year ended March 31. Its operating profit before impairment losses also went down by 14 per cent to $170.3 million while profit before tax equally plunged by 33 per cent to $103.7 million.

    Profit after tax was down 35 per cent to $81.4 million while total assets rose by two per cent to $23.2 billion.

    The group’s loans and advances to customers down were down to $11.1 billion while deposits from customers were up by two per cent to $15.9 billion. Its total equity was up by one per cent to $2.5 billion.

    Group CEO Ade Ayeyemi said: “Our results for the first quarter were a reasonable performance in light of the very difficult and tough operating market conditions.”

    “Despite the challenges our clients continue to face, our diversified business model, which is a source of competitive strength and stability, allows us to continue to serve them in and across regions in Middle Africa. With our revised strategy and a simplified operating model we aim to be more efficient in running our businesses and serving our customers. “

    “Cost discipline remains a priority, especially in this revenue challenged environment. Despite a slight deterioration in our cost-income ratio to 66.1 per cent, we remain focused on reducing cost, while simultaneously investing in people, processes and systems, for the future. “

    Ayeyemi concluded: “We remain vigilant as we continue to navigate the company through this challenging period. We are confident in our strategic plan aimed at ensuring we generate sustainable long-term performance.”

  • 200 Abia workers on double pay

    The Abia State Commissioner for Finance, Obinna Oriaku, has aid the state government uncovered about 200 workers earning salaries from different ministries in the last one year.

    Addressing reporters in Umuahia, the state capital, on the state’s financial situation and the score card of Governor Okezie Ikpeazu, the commissioner said the government had uncovered some workers in the Civil Service Commission who inflated their salaries from N100,000 to N300,000.

    Oriaku said the government had also discovered that the management of the state’s University Teaching Hospital (ABSUTH) in Aba had a template, which made the workers to be paid in excess of N12 million monthly in the past five years.

    The commissioner said the discoveries were made through biometric capture, staff auditing as well as other screening and audit of ministries and corporations.

    He said the measures were among the government’s strategy to block financial leakages.

    Oriaku recalled that since the Ikpeazu administration assumed office, it had introduced measures that made governance transparent and efficient. The commissioner said such measures included reduced padding of salaries and ghost workers.

    He noted that despite the dwindling allocation accruing to the state from the Federation Account, Ikpeazu had recorded remarkable achievements in the key sectors of the economy.

    According to him, Ikpeazu’s prudent resource management has kept the state afloat, despite dwindling Federal allocations.