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Tag: Labour

  • Labour hails Buhari’s public service sector reform

    Organized labour has hailed Buhari administration for initiating unprecedented far-reaching public sector reforms without retrenchment of the workforce and at the same time unleashed opportunities for mass decent employment.

    A member of the National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission (NSIWC) Comrade Issa Aremu made this observation in Kaduna at the reception for the members of the Board of the Commission at Textile Labour House on Tuesday.

    Comrade Aremu said with the “seamless adaptation” of Treasury Single Account (TSA) across the MDAs, Efficiency unit as a cost-saving measure, Zero-Based budget approach and Bank Verification Number (BVN) Buhari administration has shown that reform does not necessarily be “a war of attrition” or “shock therapy” resulting in mass job losses as it was in the past.

    He said contrary to popular impression that reform means additional burden for the workforce, critical policies initiatives such as Executive Orders mandating government agencies to patronize local goods, Anchors Borrowers programme by CBN and Growth Enhancement Support Scheme had opened opportunities for more job creations.

    Comrade Aremu also hailed President Buhari and his Vice President Yemi Osibanjo for facing up to the challenges of what he called the “crisis of compensation and salary administration” in line with the mandate of the National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission (NSIWC).

    Commending the Federal government for mainstreaming wages and salary, and helping defaulting states to pay salaries, comrade Aremu urged state governors and employers of labour in both private and public sectors to emulate both President Buhari and Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo in appreciating the linkage between good pay for workers and national economic recovery.

    The labour leader described Salaries and Wages Commission as the most important labour market institutions, adding that the commission under the leadership of its Chairman, Chief Egbule is fulfilling its mandate as advisor of government on remuneration, in general, adding that equitable income policy is indispensable for good governance and economic development.

    The Board of the National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission was inaugurated in September by the Acting Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Mrs. Habiba Lawal, on behalf of President Muhammadu Buhari.

    The board is chaired by Chief R. O. Egbule, appointed for a term of five years, renewable at the discretion of the President for another term not more than five years. The commission has three part-time commissioners including, Ekpo Nta, Alhaji Dauda Yahaya and Hon. Garba Musa Gulma.

    The part-time commissioners are; Victoria Nnenna Chukwuani, Geoffery Yilleng, Chief E. O. Wole Iro-Aye and Ahmed Mahmud Gumel. The Permanent Secretary (Estab.), OHCSF, Permanent Secretary (Fed. Min. of Labour & Productivity, Comrade Issa Aremu and Chuma Nwankwo are the members.

    The National Salaries, Incomes & Wages Commission (NSIWC) was established by Act 99 of 1993.

    Its creation was based on the recommendations made at various times by ad-hoc Commissions or Panels set up by Government from time to time since 1960, to deal with issues relating to salaries and wages of Nigerian workers.

    The Commission is the agency of government that is saddled with all matters relating to wages and salaries of Nigerian workers.

  • Labour demands N56,000, rejects N30,000 minimum wage offered by lawmakers

    Labour demands N56,000, rejects N30,000 minimum wage offered by lawmakers

    The Organised labour has rejected a plan by the House of Representatives, seeking the upward review of the minimum wage for Nigerian workers to N30,000.

    President of the Trade Union Congress (TUC), Bobboi Kaigama, on Saturday said the organised labour is demanding N56,000.

    “The procedure is for the tripartite body to sit down and agree on a figure, present it to the National Executive Council, National Council of State and to the National Assembly,” he said.

    On its part, the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) commended the recommendation of the House of Representatives, but said that the process to determine an approved minimum wage has started with a tripartite engagement involving the labour, the private sector and the government.

    The General Secretary of the NLC, Peter Ezon, said the tripartite arrangement would recommend the minimum wage to the government and in turns take it to the National Assembly for legislation.

    “We welcome the concerns of the House of Representatives members and we also beg them to put more pressure on government to institute the process of the tripartite committee so that it can be concluded and returned to the National Assembly,” Ezon said.

  • We’ll shut down oil, power sectors indefinitely if FG does not accede to our demands tomorrow – Labour

    We’ll shut down oil, power sectors indefinitely if FG does not accede to our demands tomorrow – Labour

    The United Labour Congress, ULC, and its affiliate unions have threatened to shut down the oil and power sectors by Friday if the Federal Government does not meet its demands.

    TheNewsGuru.com reports that other affiliates of the union that promised to shut down the sectors by Friday include Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers, NUPENG, and National Union of Electricity Employees, NUEE.

    Others are National Association of Aircraft Pilots and Engineers, NAAPE; National Union of Banks, Insurance and Financial Employees, NUBIFIE; Nigeria Union of Mine Workers, National Association of Aviation Professionals, Steel and Engineering Workers Union of Nigeria; Iron and Steel Senior Staff Association of Nigeria; Nigeria Union of Railway Workers; Private Telecommunications, Senior Staff Association of Nigeria, Nigeria Union of Shop and Distributive Employees.

    This was revealed in a statement on Tuesday in Lagos by the General Secretary of the union, Comrade Didi Adodo.

    Adodo noted that the Federal Government was yet to address the concern of its members, following a 14-day ultimatum issued to the Federal Government through its Central Working Committee, CWC, which expired Friday, September 8, 2017.

    He explained that in line with due process and in keeping with industrial relations’ best practices and traditions, ULC, had issued a final seven-day strike notice to the Federal Government to address its demands or face nationwide strike.

    Adodo maintained that the seven days notice which was contained in a letter addressed to the Minister of Labour and Employment, Senator Chris Ngige, would expire Friday, September 15.

    He, however, warned that after the expiration of the 7days ultimatum, the union will enforce the strike action indefinitely starting with the oil and power sectors.

    The group further lamented that the official response it received from the Federal Government on the matter, vide a letter from the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment, fell grossly short of addressing the issues raised, which warranted an ultimatum in the first instance.

    ULC said mobilisation for the strike nationwide had begun, adding that state councils and affiliates were on red alert to ensure that if the Federal Government remained unyielding to members’ demands, they shall be compelled to embark on strike across the country.

    Our demands According to the statement, “once again, we reiterate these demands as follows: That Federal Government bans the stationing of the Army and Police in our workplaces and factory premises. ‘’This will stop employers who are now colluding with the Army and other security agencies from setting up their men in our factories for the purposes of intimidating and harassing workers in order to deny them their rights and privileges.

    “The Army and the Police should immediately withdraw their men in the different workplaces where they are currently stationed.

    “That the government should demand that the Federal Ministry of Labour sets up a task force immediately to carry out factory inspections as most of our factories are death traps.

    “An immediate review of the privatisation of the Power Holding Company of Nigeria, PHCN, to save Nigerians the agony of suffering under the suffocating darkness which the GENCOs and DISCOs have foisted on the nation among other demands.”

    TheNewsGuru.com reports that the Federal Government is however yet to react or issue any statement concerning the proposed strike by the unions.

     

     

  • Recession exit: No recovery until labour, wage issues are addressed – Aremu

    Recession exit: No recovery until labour, wage issues are addressed – Aremu

    The organized labour has said Nigeria economy had the potential of faster recovery not just exiting recession, if the Federal and states’ governments had put an end to current persistent crisis of compensation of the working class manifesting in what it terms as “criminal” non-payment and delayed payments of salaries by many states governments despite serial Federal government bail outs in trillions of Naira.

    Reacting in Kaduna in a statement to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) positive growth numbers of 0.55 per cent compared to the negative contraction of 1.6 per cent in 2016, Comrade Issa Aremu, General Secretary of Textile union and NEC member of NLC observed that Nigeria can only recover from economic recession with enhanced purchasing power “which is only possible through prompt and adequate payments of over 10million employed workforce”.

    The labour leader who likened Nigeria economy to “a big blind economy (BBC) which gets excited with a dimmed ray of eye sight” said it was time Nigeria got ambitious in its quantitative and qualitative growth and development numbers. According to him, the Federal government Economic Recovery and Growth Plan ERGP (2016-2020) launched last year envisaged 4.6 per cent restoration real GDP growth in 2017 adding that the “recent token positive growth of 0.55 per cent was a far cry from the planned target”.

    Comrade Aremu who is also a labour representative on the National Wages and Salaries Commission said the key to sustainable development is improved labour productivity in both public and private sectors which is only possible with motivated paid workers at work and after work through quality pensions. The federal government he advised must urgently address the crisis of compensation in all sectors notably education sector and come to terms with ASUU strikes by paying all outstanding allowances while ensuring service delivery on the part of academic workforce. “Nigeria economic recovery is elusive with constant avoidable work stoppages and loss of human hours in an economy trying to exit recession” he observed. Comrade Aremu said the “Federal government must ease the cost of doing business as much as it must ease the cost of living of the working people through prompt payments of wages and pensions.”

  • Ortom’s appeal holds no water, we’ll commence strike Sept 5 – Labour

    The Nigeria Labour Congress and the Trade Union Congress in Benue have rejected Gov. Samuel Ortom’s appeal against a one-week warning strike proposed to start September 5.

    The warning strike is the first step by the workers who have declared a labour dispute with the state government over the non-payment of salaries.

    The workers, in a communique jointly signed by the NLC Chairman, Mr Godwin Anya and his TUC counterpart, Mr Ordue Tartenger, declared that the governor’s appeal was “unacceptable”.

    “His appeal is predicated on the prevailing economic situation, but the state has not stopped receiving statutory allocations from the federation account. This is besides the Internally Generated Revenue and other revenue receipts from the federal government.

    “He appealed for understanding without any offer; other allocations from the federal government and other revenue sources are still available to the government.

    “Supplementary support keeps coming from the Federal Government under various sub-heads – bailout, stabilization, Paris Club refunds, among others,” the workers said.

    The unions, therefore, declared Tuesday, September 5 – Wednesday, September 13 for the strike, and advised the government to implement the state of emergency it declared on payment of salaries, gratuities and pensions.

    Reacting, the Special Adviser to Ortom on Media and ICT, Mr Tahav Agerzua, said that the governor “placed all the cards on the table before the labour leaders”.

    He opined that the strike was not the solution because it would not bring the money needed to pay the salaries and arrears being demanded.

    The Benue workers are owed eight months salaries, with Ortom saying that N40bn was required to settle them.

     

  • Labour hails Buhari on non-negotiable National Unity

    Organized labour has hailed President Muhammadu Buhari’s appreciation speech on Monday describing it as “truly presidential” “timely” and “reassuring on the unity and “indissolubility” of Nigeria as a Federal Republic.

    In a statement in Kaduna, Comrade Issa Aremu, the General Secretary of the National Union of Textile and Garment Workers of Nigeria, (NUTGWN) an affiliate of the NLC, also called on all compatriots, “state or non-state alike” to rise and defend the Constitution of the country in the face of what he described as “forces of disunity, revisionism and sheer disintegration”.

    Comrade Aremu said President Muhammadu had exhibited remarkable statesmanship by devoting his first appreciation speech to the vexed issue of Nigerian unity in reminding all Nigerians of the “obvious truism” that the motto of Nigeria as enshrined in the constitution is “Unity and Faith, Peace and Progress”.

    The labour leader who is also a NEC member of the NLC urged other statesmen and women to emulate the President by “talking the right talk and working the talk” on Nigerian renaissance rather than organizing what he called “wasteful thanks giving/solidarity visits of dubious value”.

    “All Nigerians should not only decry hate speeches and hate conducts of forces of disunity but should also talk the language of unity and love as President Buhari had done.” he said.

    He observed that “…hate speeches come from the constituencies, states and local governments not necessarily in Abuja,” and wondered why the governors, legislators and councils chairmen in the hate domains could not call the misguided few in their domains to order as Buhari has done”.

    Comrade Issa Aremu who is also the Vice President of Industrial global union urged Nigerians to be ambitious in leading Africans from underdevelopment to prosperity which he said can only be possible with a strong united and indissoluble Nigeria as contained in the 1999 Constitution.

    Comrade Aremu said it is reassuring that President Buhari categorically declared that “Nigeria’s unity is settled and not negotiable” as well as repeating the obvious that “Every Nigerian has the right to live and pursue his business anywhere in Nigeria without let or hindrance”.

    The labour leader said Nigerians should compliment the President further by making sure that every African has claim to free movement in Nigeria as much as every Nigerian has the legitimate right to be anywhere in Africa.

    According to the labour leader, it was “madness” for anybody to think of breaking Nigeria into “ethnic enclaves” at a time Africa Union (AU) is working out a common passport for all Africans and almost 50 years Europeans have built a strong Union.

     

  • FEC approves new policies for oil, labour, insists fuel importation will end by 2019

    The Federal Executive Council (FEC) on Wednesday approved new policies for oil and labour sectors of the economy.

    This was revealed by the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources Dr. Ibe Kachikwu and Minister of Labour, Dr. Chris Ngige in an interview with State House correspondents after the FEC meeting in Abuja.

    TheNewsGuru.com reports that the FEC meeting was chaired by Acting President Yemi Osinbajo at the Presidential Villa.

    Kachikwu said the Federal Government was committed to ending fuel importation into Nigeria by 2019.

    On the plan to end it, he said: “In terms of specifics, what a policy document does is that it gives you a general guideline in terms of where you are headed. Then, you go into the specifics in other separate documents for purpose of execution.

    “If you take the 2019 timeframe for refinery for instance, it won’t tell you what I’m doing today, but it will tell you that I have set a timeline to exit importation and to get the refineries working by 2019.

    “But if you ask me specifically off the shelve what are we doing on that? There is a steering committee already in place, which I head. There is a technical committee team already set up headed by chief operating officer in NNPC. We have had series of meetings with individuals who are willing to put money into the refineries.

    “I need to state this clearly. This is not a sale and this is not a concession. This is a financing scheme and there are over 30 people who have indicated interest in that financing.

    “They are going to go through the usual due process mechanism to see who qualifies for that financing. What we have resolved, however, which we have at least have a landing is that each of the refineries would be repaired by the individual company that built the refinery.

    “Who does the work is different from who finance the work to be done. We are still dialoguing who is going to get the financing opportunity, but who is going to get the contracting opportunity to do the work is already decided. If you check the companies that built, I think is Chioda in the North, Saitem in Warri, if I’m not mistaken. I have forgotten the one in Port Harcourt. But, all of them have reached agreement with us in terms of willingness and readiness to do the work.

    “Government is not putting money into this. lt is going to be sector-led effort and they will recover their money through incremental volumes that will arise from the production increase arising from the repairs. We are doing about 30 per cent performances on most refineries now. So, if you get them to above 90 per cent template, we are going to use some of the product line to pay for some of the debts and free ourselves from the importation problems.”

    Noting that the refineries, when repaired cannot cover the required consumption, the minister said some level of efficiency and upgrade would increase their capacity.

    He said: “We are banking on the fact that efficiency steps we are taking will reduce the consumption. We have gone from the 50 million litres per day when I resumed office down to today that is about 28 million litres per day.

    “So, obviously, efficiency has wiped off smuggling, efficiency has reduced consumption and also whatever gains we made under the subsidy regime by taking the subsidy out has also taken out. So, if we are reducing the level of consumption and increasing the efficiency of the refineries, we are banking that we will be able to exit importation completely.

    “And this is not building in Dangote refinery that is 165,000 barrel cap on it, or the modular refineries we are looking at or the AGIP we are looking at.

    “So, I think we are finally on course and we are going to be very aggressive on target,” he said.

    But he added that improving oil production target was very dicey.

    According to Kachikwu , the council yesterday considered the Nigeria Petroleum Policy document.

    He stressed that the essence of the gas policy, which was considered three weeks ago, was to change the imperatives of Nigeria from an oil producing country to a gas producing country.

    Kachikwu was optimistic that the change process that was started in 2015 will be brought to logical conclusion in the next few years, if the new document is well-executed.

    Ngige said FEC received the National Employment Policy, which will guide the administration.

    He added that the last employment policy in operation in Nigeria was approved in 2002.

    “That’s 14 years and in that 14 years, a lot of things have changed in labour and employment industry. Things like employment for people with disabilities, decent jobs programme and doing jobs without polluting the environment and other things that are new and contemporary in the labour market.”

    On the issue of minimum wage, he said the ministry is awaiting the nominations from other bodies and groups.

    “Once these nominations are in place, the President will then inaugurate the committee,”Ngige said.

    Mrs. Ahmed said her ministry presented the National Social Protection Policy to the council.

    The policy, she said, is a framework that seeks to provide social justice, equity and inclusive growth by using a transformative mechanism for mitigating poverty and unemployment in Nigeria.

    According to her, the social investment programme started by the Federal Government since 2016 were drawn from the policy, which is presently in a draft form.


  • Wike lambasts labour, says ‘you pulled down heaven during Jonathan’s tenure but keep quiet under Buhari’

    Wike lambasts labour, says ‘you pulled down heaven during Jonathan’s tenure but keep quiet under Buhari’

    Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State on Friday accused leaders of the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) of keeping quiet under the President Muhammadu Buhari led Federal Government despite several unfavourable policies but ‘almost pulled down the heavens for any slight action of former President Goodluck Jonathan’

    Wike further accused the labour leaders of gradually turning into politicians at the expense of the masses who they are suppose to stand and fight for.

    Wike spoke at the Government House in Port Harcourt when he received NLC president, Ayuba Wabba.

    He said: “Nigerians are not happy with the NLC. With due respect, you people are now politicians. You are no longer as strong as you used to be.

    “I remember when Jonathan was President; you wanted to pull heaven down just for the slight removal of petroleum subsidy.

    “Now they have removed everything and nothing has happened”, Wike noted, lamenting that it has gotten to a point the NLC calls for strike and workers don’t obey.

    “You have allowed politicians to penetrate your ranks and you now have two factions. Factionalization is not the best. I urge you to work for the union to be strong as this is in the interest of the nation.

    “Look at what is happening in the country today. Nobody wants to go to jail. If you talk, EFCC will come after you. If you don’t want EFCC to trouble you, defect to the other party.

    “There was this ED Finance of the NDDC, who was a member of the PDP. EFCC was after him, when he defected to the other party, they dropped the charges.”

     

  • Labour ready to ‘serve the people’ in minority government – Corbyn

    Labour ready to ‘serve the people’ in minority government – Corbyn

    Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn said the party has emerged as the winner in Britain’s snap election and is “ready to serve the people who have given their trust” to it.

    Corbyn while speaking to the BBC on Friday, said: “We put forward our policies – strong and hopeful policies – and have gained an amazing response from the public. I think it’s pretty clear who won this election.

    “There isn’t a parliamentary majority for anybody at the present time; the party that has lost in this election is the Conservative Party; the arguments the Conservative Party put forward in this election have lost,” he told Sky News.

    “I think we need a change.”

    John McDonnell, Labour’s shadow chancellor, told the BBC the party was “disappointed” not to be forming a majority government but said there would be “no deals, no coalitions” in an attempt to form a minority government.

    Labour’s “achievement of this campaign has been tremendous,” McDonnell said.

    NAN reports that with results in 637 constituencies counted, no party was in a position to gain the 326 seats required to gain an absolute majority in the 650-seat parliament.

    The Conservatives had won 311, the opposition Labour party were on 258 and the Scottish National Party were in third position with 34.

  • Labour productivity rises in Q4 of 2016 – NBS

    Labour productivity rises in Q4 of 2016 – NBS

    The National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) said that the country saw a rise in labour productivity in the fourth quarter of 2016, the highest levels since first quarter of 2015.

    The NBS said this in its Labour Productivity for Fourth Quarter of 2016 Report released on Thursday in Abuja.

    The bureau stated that while the overall level of productivity was high, there were several challenges that generally impacted on the output of labour, and indirectly on labour productivity, keeping it below optimal levels.

    It stated that some of the issues faced during the quarter spilled over from first quarter through third quarter of 2016.

    Some of the issues were the decline in the Gross Domestic Product (GDP), high unemployment rate and infrastructural challenges.

    Nigeria economy, though showing signs of recovery, recorded its 4th consecutive quarter of negative growth in the fourth quarter of 2016, with the economy declining by 1.58 per cent.

    The constraints on productivity of labour and other factor inputs continued to put a drag on overall economic growth and this was further exacerbated in the fourth quarter of 2016.

    A growing unemployment rate of 14.2 per cent in the quarter, up from 13.9 per cent in the third quarter of 2016, coupled with existing infrastructural challenges, remain considerable threats to realising Nigeria’s full economic and productivity potential.

    The bureau, however, stated that investment in the economy was still relatively low, though some government investments were recorded during the quarter.

    According to the report, the volume of private investment and Foreign Direct Investments (FDIs) are still considerably low compared to previous years.

    The NBS said tha power was relatively stable during the quarter, which partly accounted for the increase in labour productivity but was still lower than the required levels.

    The bureau stated that the growth in labour productivity implied a gradual increase in labour efficiency employed in the economy, the third consecutive quarterly rise.

    It stated that the nature of productivity in the fourth quarter also gave an idea of the main drivers of the growth in labour productivity.

    The report, noted that the agriculture sector was the main driver which recorded a growth of 3.39 per cent.

    According to the report, the percentage was the highest among any major economic activity, with parts of the fourth quarter being the harvest season in the Nigerian agricultural calendar.

    This, the report stated may well have added to the growth in labour productivity in fourth quarter of 2016.

    It stated that other major activities that contributed to productivity during the quarter were transportation and the creative sectors of the economy.

    The report stated that though both activities were relatively low weights compared to other activities like agriculture.

    It stated that their strong growth during the quarter and the high number of labour they engaged would have contributed to the labour productivity during the quarter.

    The report further showed the annual trend in total GDP, number of hours worked as well as the derived labour productivity for the period 2011 to 2016.

    It stated that labour productivity increased by 9.8 per cent on quarterly basis and 10.8 per cent year-on- year in the period under review.