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Tag: workers

  • Microsoft to sack 18,000 workers

    Microsoft to sack 18,000 workers

    Anxiety has gripped workers of tech giants, Microsoft Nigeria as the firm prepares to cut about 18,000 jobs over the next one year. It is part of the tech titan’s efforts to streamline its business under new Chief Executive Officer Satya Nadella.

    An industry source said the plan has demoralised workers  even in the Nokia office in the country where everybody is unsure whose name would be on the list of people that would be asked to go any time from now.

    According to the source, the management of the firm in its headquarter in the United States (U.S.) is compiling the list of the workers that will be affected in the two organisations, adding that a pall of uncertainty has now enveloped the two organisations.

    “Everybody is just waiting for the list and there is a general air of uncertainty as nobody knows who will be affected. We just come to work every day unsure of when letters would be distributed. So, for the wise ones among us, it will not come as a surprise. We are beginning to look inwards,” the source added.

    In a statement, Microsoft said about 12,500 of the professional and factory positions will be cut as part of its $7.2 billion acquisition of Nokia’s handset business.

    Nadella in a memo to employees was quoted to have written: “My promise to you is that we will go through this process in the most thoughtful and transparent way possible.”

    Nadella, who replaced Steve Ballmer in February, said the “vast majority” of employees affected by layoffs will be notified within the next six months. They will also earn severance and job transition help in many locations. All cuts will be completed by next June.

    The layoffs by Microsoft — which employs 125,000 people — are the company’s largest ever. The acquisition of Nokia’s handset business in April added 25,000 people to Microsoft’s payroll.

    Microsoft expects to incur pre-tax charges as high as $1.6 billion over the next four quarters, which will include $750 million to $800 million for severance and related benefit costs, and $350 million to $800 million of asset-related charges.

    Nadella had sent a memo to employees reinforcing his vision for a “mobile-first, cloud-first” world, focusing on unifying its software and hardware.

    “Microsoft has a unique ability to harmonise the world’s devices, apps, docs, data and social networks in digital work and life experiences so that people are at the center and are empowered to do more and achieve more with what is becoming an increasingly scarce commodity — time!” Nadella wrote.

    Gartner analyst Merv Adrian says Nadella recognizes Microsoft cannot operate with a “Windows first at all costs model” and has started shaping the company to thrive in a tech space with multiple platforms and devices. “It’s been a very consistent delivery on the promises he’s made so far,” he says.

    Microsoft is the latest tech giant suffering through a round of layoffs.

    In May, personal computer firm, Hewlett-Packard (HP) announced it would cut an additional 11,000 to 16,000 jobs as part of a massive restructuring.

    Earlier this year, IBM said it would take a $1 billion charge for “workforce re-balancing.”

    Chip maker Intel and network-equipment maker Cisco Systems both said in the past year they were cutting about five per cent of their workforces.

  • Plastic firm’s workers cry out over lack of safety kits

    Plastic firm’s workers cry out over lack of safety kits

    Workers of Celplas Industries Nig Ltd, Isanyindo, Sagamu, Ogun State, a manufacturer of plastic products, have lamented the non-provision of safety kits for them by the management.

    The workers noted that there are no safety measures put in place in the factory to protect them against bodily injury that has become their lot in recent times.

    One of the affected workers, who spoke on the ground of anonymity, said the management had turned a blind eye to their plight despite sustained agitation for better working conditions in terms of adequate provision of safety items.

    “The management is not doing anything to address the lack of safety items that could protect us from dangerous particles coming out of production centre. For example, those of us who work in the stainless plate moulding section are the worst hit; we are usually blackened or darkened by black particles coming out of plates during production.

    “Instead of providing us with safety gear and overall jacket, they continue to be indifferent. No matter how fair-complexioned you may be, you will become black the moment you are posted to my section to work. When many of us who could no longer continue to wait endlessly for the management, we resorted to covering our body with  disused sacks.”

    Another worker, who spoke in confidence with The Nation explained: “I resorted to the use of cellophane or nylon to cover my body and hand. Besides, some of our colleagues have either lost their fingers or vital parts of their bodies as a result of the development; Even though I know that using cellophane is dangerous as it can be suffocating, we have no choice.”

    “A few months ago, a worker in the moldings section lost some of his fingers and he has not been compensated for the permanent injury he suffered. Please, beg our bosses to secure our lives against industrial accidents and health hazards by giving us necessary safety kits,” he added.

    A security man at the entrance of the company turned back our correspondent when he went there to seek the response of the company on the allegations a few days ago.

    “Please go back. The company has been temporarily closed because of workers’ strike,” said a security man who refused to disclose his names.

    However, a top official at the Lagos head office of the company, simply identified as Sikiru, said:” To the best of my knowledge, the company has always held the issue of safety and welfare of its workers paramount. They are insured and some of them who are victims of industrial accidents have been adequately compensated. There are, however, some whose cases are still being treated by our insurers. But I’ll advise you to come see our general manager when he returns from his trip outside the country. He is in a better position to offer a detailed explanation on some of the issues you have raised.”

  • Local govt chiefs urged to work with workers

    Local govt chiefs urged to work with workers

    Council chairmen in Lagos State have been urged to work with workers to enhance quality service delivery at the grassroots.

    The Permanent Secretary in the Office of Local Government Establishment, Training and Pensions (LGETP), Mr. Adewale Ashimi gave the charge at the end of the Public Policy Development, Analysis and Implementation training for senior administration managers of all the 20 councils and 37 Local Council Development Areas (LCDAs) at the Public Service Staff Development Centre (PSSDC), Magodo, Lagos.

    Ashimi said the commission’s efforts to train and equip its workforce for future challenges would be futile, if the chairmen and the management staff do not work together.

    He said the commission decided to train the council workers in policy development to enable them key into the overall vision of the government to empower workers in order to drive efficiency of the public service, whether at the local or state government levels.

    Ashimi said the commission would link up with the chairmen to ensure that the lessons of the trainings are not lost. “If you want to increase revenue, work with the local government workers; if you want to increase tourism potentials in the state, work with the councils; if you want to grow entrepreneurship, work with the grassroots; government at that level is key to development anywhere in the world and anyone working at the councils must be as effective as possible if they must drive the overall growth potential of the state government,” he said.

    He charged participants to be change agents and ensure that introduced what they learnt anywhere they found themselves. “I will urge you not to be frustrated if you met with challenges as you try to implement what you have learnt here, but be persistent and introduce the change,” Ashimi said.

    Earlier, PSSDC Director General Mrs. Olubunmi Fabamwo hailed the participants for putting in their best during the training.

    Mrs. Fabamwo said policy development, analysis and implementation is a newly designed programme and one of the eight contents designed for civil servants at the grassroots.

    She said: “Take away all the good things you have learnt from us here and introduce them at your various offices and local councils to improve service delivery.”

    Mrs. Fabamwo presented awards to two of the participants in line with the centre’s tradition. The most outstanding participant award went to the class governor, Mr. Joseph Olufemi Ojo, an engineer at the Badagry Local Government; Mr. Michael Adebisi Opeseyi, an administrative officer with the Mushin Local Government Area got the punctuality award.

    Ojo and Opeseyi praised the facilitators for giving their best during the training, adding that the training would make councils deliver to people at the grassroots. Over 46 participants were at the training

     

  • Rivers workers plan for life after service

    The Trade Union Congress (TUC) in collaboration with Rivers State Government has expressed dissatisfaction over the increasing number of Civil Servants who retired hopelessly due to their inability to plan for retirement.

    They said it has become a habit by civil servant especially those who did not plan for their future to falsify their age as to remain on the job instead of going for retirement

    The TUC and Rivers State government agreed that there is need to introduce entrepreneurship skill development to equip workers to face the challenges of life after retirement.

    The Chairman Rivers State Civil Service Commission Ngo Martyns-Yellowe, and the President-General of Trade Union Congress (TUC) Comrade Bobboi  Bala Kaigama, spoke  in Port Harcourt, Rivers State capital.

    The workshop, which was organised by Rivers State chapter of Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria (ASCSN)   with the theme “Entrepreneurship Skill Development and Pre-retirement”, was to sensitise the workers on the need to plan for their retirement.

    Martyns-Yellowe said workers should always know that they must  retire and have no excuse not plan  for their retirement.

    “Why would a worker condescend too low as to reduce his or her age to avert retirement? It is because such person has failed to understand that someday he or she will retire. The government of Rivers State is totally in support of entrepreneurship skills development for workers.

    “This idea will assist those who are about to retire to acquire certain knowledge that could help them after retirement. Workers must take the advantage of contributory Pension plan to ensure that he or she does not end up in the sick bed for high blood pressure”

    He added that workers who have three months to retire will not be part of the contributory Pension plan. He said the workers under the new policy will contribute 8 per cent while the government will assist with   12 per cent as a way to encourage those who have the heart to embrace the policy.

    Kaigama, who is also the National President of Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria (ASCSN), said: “You must not falsify your gage; instead take good advantage of the workshop to equip yourself with the requisite tools that could assist your retirement. It is necessary to acquire manpower skill, so that as you retire you can have an alternative to continue to cope with the vagaries of life.”

     

  • Middle-class workers should put pay rise into pension pots

    Workers should put any pay rise they get into their pension pots, a minister has said as official figures reveal that almost 12 million people are not saving enough.

    Half of all workers face a lower standard of living in old age because they are not contributing enough to their pensions, with those on middle and higher incomes among those contributing the least.

    According to the Department for Work and Pensions report, more than 6 million people who earn more than £32,000 will struggle in their retirement, including 1.1 million workers who earn over £52,000.

    Ministers are increasingly concerned that higher earners are failing to put money aside for their retirement after a series of policies intended to help those on lower earnings.

    A quarter of a million people earning more than £52,000 are saving less than half they amount they need to ensure they have an “adequate” level of income in their retirement.

    The report suggests that people should work longer to help ensure that they have enough to live on in their retirement.

    Writing in The Telegraph, Steve Webb, the pension’s minister, says that people need to take more “personal responsibility” and learn to “think about their prospects”.

    He added that as the economy recovers people should consider investing any pay rises they receive into their pension pots.

    He says: “Of course money is tight for many families, and no one can be blamed for prioritising today’s needs over future provision.

    “But it’s worth bearing in mind that a few extra pounds a week diverted to a pension scheme could make a world of difference to the retirement we can look forward to.

    “In most years, people who are in work will receive a pay rise. Even if that’s only a small amount of money, it might be that this could fund a little extra towards the workplace or private pension that’s going to fund a happier and more comfortable retirement.

    Mr Webb highlights how the government’s pension policies have helped lower earners. Under the government’s “triple lock guarantee”, the state pension rises every year in line with either earnings, prices or by 2.5 per cent whichever is highest.

    Ministers have also introduced an auto-enrolment policy which has seen almost 4 million people signed up to workplace pensions.

    However, Mr Webb warns that government policies alone will not be enough to give people a comfortable retirement.

    He says: “Clearly, there are tough questions here for future governments. But while the Government can do a lot, it can’t absolve people of all personal responsibility – and I make no apology for saying that it is incumbent on people to think about their own prospects too.

    “Everyone’s aspirations are different. Only an individual or couple can decide the sort of income they need, hope or expect to live on in retirement. But it’s a consideration everyone should make – and then look at what they can do to make it happen.”

  • Medical experts caution airport workers

    Medical experts caution airport workers

    Medical experts in the aviation sector have said the panic associated with Ebola Virus Disease is more dangerous than the disease itself.

    They urged airport workers and passengers to comply with measures rolled out by the authorities to contain the spread of the disease.

    The medical experts spoke at a sensitisation seminar on Ebola organised by the Women in Aviation at the international wing of the Murtala Muhammed Airport (MMA), Lagos at the weekend.

    Speaking at the forum, the Acting General Manager, Aviation Clinic, Dr Olawale Oduwole, said since the outbreak of the disease, Nigerians have been taking steps to ensure that they don’t contact the Ebola Virus Disease.

    He said Nigerians were taking extra caution because of the deadly nature of the disease, which kills its victims at a short period.

    In his view, the panic associated with the disease is much more dangerous than the Ebola virus itself.

    Oduwole said that because of the outbreak of EVD, people no longer talk about malaria, which, according to him, kills over 1000 people daily.

    He said: “Malaria kills over 1000 people daily, yet we are not talking about it. We talk about Ebola because we know that Ebola is very dangerous and because the chances of the victim of the Ebola virus I surviving is very slim.”

    An official of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Dr Wilfred Haggai, said the agency  issued directives to airlines on the measures to ensure that carriers of the virus are not brought into the country.

    There are penalties for disobeying the directive. Some airlines have been penalised.

    Haggai advised participants at the seminar to sensitise their friends, neighbours, church members, colleagues and enemies on the disease to further create awareness about it.

    President of Women in Aviation Mrs Rejoice Ndudinachi said the group decided to embark on the sensitisation seminar due to the dangerous nature of the disease that has killed over 1000 people globally.

    An official of the Public Health Consultant, Nigeria Air Force (NAF), Dr Esther Omokhuede, described Ebola as an emerging disease.

    He advised that because of the deadly nature of the disease and coupled with the fact that it has no vaccine and no specific treatment, Nigerians must be cautious by ensuring that they observe a high level of personal hygiene by washing their hands with soap and water thoroughly frequently, especially when they visit the sick or when they come in contact with body secretions of such persons.

    When there is no soap or water, a sanitiser must be used. The virus can survive in semen for 61 days.

    Omokhuede called for the stoppage of the consumption of raw meat and bush meat, to curb the spread of the disease.

  • Workers sensitised on ebola

    The Vice-Chancellor of Ekiti State University Prof. Oladipo Aina, has called on members of the university community and the society to adopt extra measures to avoid the spread of the dreaded ebola virus, threatening West Africa.

    He said this at a health awareness programme organised to sensitise staff on the threats of Ebola and how to prevent it.

    Aina said the sensitisation became imperative due to presence of the virus in Nigeria which has claimed lives. He called on the governments to be proactive and establish preventive mechanisms to avoid the epidemic.

    EKSU Director of Health Services Dr. Omoniyi who delivered a lecture on the threats of ebola virus explained that no vaccine and treatment has been discovered to treat the virus which he described as highly contagious.

    He said people in direct contact with infected patients are at highest risk of infection especially health workers and family members. He listed the early symptoms of the virus to include fever, headache, tiredness, vomiting, diarrhoea and bleeding.

    The death toll from Ebola outbreak according to the World Health Organisation (WHO) has risen from 729 to over 800.

  • Court workers insist on written undertaking from govt

    Court workers insist on written undertaking from govt

    Striking court workers, under the aegis of the Judicial Staff Union of Nigeria (JUSUN), said yesterday they will only end their three-week strike when Accountant-General of the Federation (AGF) Jonah Otunla and others write an undertaking in compliance with the judgment that voided the routing of judicial funds through the Executive.

    JUSUN’s President Marwan Adamu told our correspondent in Abuja yesterday that the series of meetings the union held with government’s representatives since the strike started had only resulted in verbal promises from the government.

    The union leader said JUSUN members would not accept any other thing except a written promise by representatives of federal and state governments.

    He said the union would abide by the January 13 judgment delivered by Justice Adeniyi Ademola of the Federal High Court in Abuja.

    Adamu said the AGF could be blamed for the lingering strike because of his refusal to comply with the judgment, which had been served on him.

    Justice Ademola, in the judgment, held, among others, that it was unconstitutional for the Executive to withhold or release in piecemeal the funds standing to the credit of the Judiciary in the Federation Account and Consolidated Revenue Fund.

    Adamu said: “Our demand is simple. JUSUN will suspend the strike, if we get a cogent, concrete and presentable commitment from the government.

    “We are not saying they should pay the money instantly. If, for example, the representatives of the Federal and state governments agree that there is a court judgment and that they have not complied with it but that they need one week, two weeks, or even one month to comply, that is a commitment. “

  • Workers alert govt to ‘ghost names’

    Members of the Abia State Disengaged Non-Natives (ASDN) have alerted government to what they said were irregularities on the list of those reinstated in the civil service.

    They alleged that some people on the list were not among those disengaged.

    Members of the group said they discovered the ghost workers after going through the list released by the government and comparing it with the original nominal roll of the disengaged workers.

    Spokesperson for the body, Mrs. Ihejirika Fidelia, speaking to reporters at the end of their meeting in Aba, alleged that there were ghost workers among those reinstated.

    The body, thanking Governor Theodore Orji for his magnanimity by reinstating some of the workers, urged him to direct the relevant departments to look into the list of those reinstated, which it alleged contained ‘ghost names’.

    It said: “While we thank the governor for his magnanimity in directing that some of us be reinstated, we appeal to him to set up a body that will go through the list of those reinstated and find out why there are many names on the list that were not among those retrenched.

    “This will help to find out if government officials were involved in sharp practices, thereby sabotaging the Orji administration’s efforts.”

    ASDN members enjoined the governor to consider re-instating other workers, whose names were not on the list, to save them from hardship, which they alleged had caused the death of over 25 people.

  • ‘Pay Kogi workers’

    A group, Kogi State APC Restoration, has called on the Peoples Democratic Party-led administration to pay the backlog of salaries owed teachers and workers.

    The teachers are on strike to protest the non-payment of their salaries by the State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB).

    In a statement by its coordinator, Mohammed Abubakar, the group said: “We call on the PDP leadership to pay the salary arrears of teachers and also allow continuous payment of full salary at the councils.

    “The PDP government should correct the abnormalities, because the people are yearning for development and change of leadership. We have seen the light at the end of the tunnel and God is about to set us free.”