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Tag: Labour

  • FG inaugurates 10-man committee settle Kaduna Government, Labour dispute

    FG inaugurates 10-man committee settle Kaduna Government, Labour dispute

    The Federal Government has inaugurated a 10-man committee to resolve the dispute between Kaduna State government and Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) and ensure industrial harmony in the state.

    A statement issued by a Deputy Director in the ministry, Mr Charles Akpan, on Saturday in Abuja, said that the committee was inaugurated by Minister of Labour and Employment, Sen. Chris Ngige.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the committee was headed by the Permanent Secretary of the ministry, Dr Peter-Yemira Tarfa.

    Ngige named Secretary to Kaduna State Government (SSG), Balarabe Lawal and Deputy National President, NLC, Najim Hashim as Co-chairmen of the committee and Director, Trade Union Services and Industrial Relations, ministry of labour and employment, Mrs O. U. Akpan, as Secretary.

    He urged members of the committee to meet the expectations of President Muhammadu Buhari in ensuring that industrial peace returned to the state.

    The minister recalled that the federal government had apprehended the strike initiated by NLC in the state in May, with parties signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to restore peace.

    He said that the intervening circumstances had made the reconstitution of the committee inevitable.

    According to him, the committee is expected to resolve all the issues in dispute between the state government and NLC.

    Ngige, who acknowledged that the issues in contention bordered essentially on trade disputes, gave the committee 21 days to submit its report.

    He urged the committee to resolve the issues holistically and be guided by the 1999 Constitution (as amended) as well as the country’s labour laws.

    Ngige noted that downsizing or rightsizing of workforce in any organisation, government or private sector, was a redundancy issue, which must be subjected to the principles spelt out in the Trade Disputes Act, Laws of the Federation, 2004, Cap L1.

    “The law says in Section 20(A) that: “in the event of redundancy, every employer shall inform the trade unions or representatives of workers concerned of the reasons for or the extent of their anticipated redundancy.

    “Section 20(B) also says that the principles of ‘last-in, first-out’ shall be adopted in the discharge of the category of workers affected, subject to all factors of relative merit including skill, ability and any reliability.”

    “So, in applying this, we must subject it to the relativity of merit, skill, ability and reliability. If somebody has a forged certificate, he should be asked to go because he didn’t merit the job in the first instance.

    “If you go to a nursing home and find somebody working in the ward with a Bachelor’s degree in History, he stands disqualified because he doesn’t have the skill in the first place.

    “He has to go. So, these are the qualifications that must be noted in this principle of last in, first out. It is not absolute. It has exceptions and qualifications,’’ he said.

    Ngige added that an employer had the right to reduce staff strength of his organisation but he is bound by law to negotiate redundancy payment with any discharged worker.

    He asserted that there was nothing wrong in Kaduna State government stopping the expenditure of 96 per cent of the its earnings on personnel cost in order to save enough for capital projects, adding, however, that it must be done within the ambit of the law.

    According to him, schedule two of the 1999 Constitution clearly states issues that are contained in item 34 of that schedule which are beyond the powers of state governments to act upon.

    He said that they included matters relating to labour unions, industrial disputes, arbitration and conciliation as well as the National Minimum Wage, all exclusive to the purview of the federal government.

    Meanwhile, the minister informed the committee of the expectations of the president on the speedy return of industrial harmony in the state, more so at a time the state was facing the challenges of armed banditry.

    “Mr President has asked me to inform you of his expectation that peace returns to Kaduna, which has been his state of residence and home to many retired generals, permanent secretaries and seasoned administrators, amongst others of Northern Nigeria extraction.

    “So, I appeal to you to approach this assignment with conciliation at the back of your mind so that we don’t have a repeat of what happened in May.

    “I use this opportunity to appeal to you, as the minister of labour, father of labour unions and friend of Kaduna State, that we should tread the path of peace. With peace, we can make progress, both as government and as labour union,” he said.

    Also speaking, Kaduna State SSG, assured of the state government’s commitment to restoration of industrial harmony, adding that government was not at war with labour.

    In his remarks, NLC President, Mr Ayuba Wabba, said that labour was committed to resolution of the impasse in the state.

    “I pray that it will be the last dispute between labour and Kaduna State government. This is a labour matter that can be resolved and should be resolved,” he said.

  • Nigeria targets 80% eradication of child labour

    Nigeria targets 80% eradication of child labour

    Minister of labour and employment, Chris Ngige, said this in his office at a press briefing to mark the World Day against Child Labour.

    According to Ngige, no government has made efforts to eradicate Child Labour in Nigeria like the current administration, which introduced school feeding programme to lure children back to school.

    He said the government of Nigeria, through the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment in collaboration with the International Labour Organisation (ILO) and other stakeholders has the primary responsibility of ensuring that children are not engaged in work that constitutes Child Labour and that young workers of legal working age are duly protected and work in safe conditions.

    The minister noted that this year’s World Day against Child Labour, with the theme “Act Now: End Child Labour,” focuses on pledges made for the 2021 International Year for the Elimination of Child Labour and the need to take immediate action to accelerate progress on the elimination of Child Labour.

    He said, “It is the first International Year for the Elimination of Child Labour since the ratification of ILO’s Convention 182 on the ‘Worst Forms of Child Labour’ and it is taking place at the time when COVID-19 crises threatened to reverse years of progress in tackling Child Labour.

    “In June this year, the ILO and UNICEF will release new global estimates and trends on Child Labour under the aegis of Alliance 8.7. The report will include an assessment of how the pace of progress towards ending Child Labour is likely to be affected by COVID-19 pandemic and the unprecedented economic crisis that has accompanied it.”

    Ngige maintained that the Nigerian Government has created the enabling environment for the fight against the menace through the ratification and adoption of key International Labour Organisation (ILO) conventions.

    According to him, the ILO conventions ratified and adopted by Nigeria include the Elimination of the Worst Forms of Child Labour Convention, No.182 (1999), the Minimum Age Convention, No.138 (1970), Forced Labour Convention, No.29 (1930), UN Convention on the Right of the child, amongst others.

    He said Nigeria has also approved policy documents on National Policy on Child Labour, National Plan for the Elimination of Child Labour in Nigeria and a comprehensive list of hazardous work.

  • Labour puts unions on strike alert; says planned petrol subsidy removal, hike will be met with stiff resistance

    Labour puts unions on strike alert; says planned petrol subsidy removal, hike will be met with stiff resistance

    Organised Labour have alerted affiliated and sister unions on a fresh nationwide industry action over the possibility of an increase in prices of petroleum products.

    According to the labour leaders, the governors are spearheading the purported fuel subsidy removal/hike.

    TheNewsGuru.com, TNG gathered a committee set up by the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) last week pushed for the immediate removal of petrol subsidy and recommended that the product be sold between N380/litre and N408.5/litre.

    But, arising from its National Executive Council (NEC) meeting on Tuesday, the leadership of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) warned that any attempt by the government to increase the pump price of petroleum products would be met with stiff resistance.

    The NEC meeting, which held virtually as most Labour leaders are at their various zones to attend the public hearing on the proposed constitution amendment, also deliberated on the crisis in Kaduna and the ongoing constitutional review.

    Although the Federal Government has said the governors lacked the powers to fix the price of petrol, the congress insisted that it would not accept any price increase.

    A labour leader, who was privy to the meeting said Nigerians will resume its suspended strike of last year without notice.

    The unionist said all the affiliate unions of the NLC have been put on notice, if the government does otherwise.

    According to him, Labour rejected the recommendation that petrol be raised to N212/litre on Easter by the Group Managing Director (GMD) of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Mele Kyari.

    He said: “We are not in support of petrol increase. All these governors, they don’t mean well for Nigeria. They have over 100 aides. They are stealing money every day; it is only the common masses they want to continue to inflict pains on. It is not fair.

    “We will reject it totally. We will not accept any increase. We don’t need any further ultimatum to respond, to re-activate and resume our suspended action. We don’t need to give anybody ultimatum again. If they go into that area, we will just resume our suspended action.

    “We have issued directives that all our affiliate unions should start mobilising. As soon as they increase the price of petrol, we will down tools, withdraw all economic activities.

    “We don’t need to negotiate with government or write them that we are coming to meet them because the last time we met before Easter, the GMD of the NNPC came that fuel will be N212 or N208 per liter because the landing cost was N198 and we told him to go back to the drawing board; to do as others are doing.

    “We told him to go and repair our refineries. That was what brought our meeting to a deadlock. Remember that after two months, they announced plans to repair the Port Harcourt refinery for $1.8 billion.

    Speaking on the face-off with the Kaduna State government, the labour leader said organised labour will not backdown on its request that the workers penciled for sack be paid their entitlements.

    He said: “On Kaduna, you know how we have ended. There is a committee that is supposed to report back to the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment between today and tomorrow.

    “The meeting started today (yesterday) because the Head of Service said they normally have their meetings on Wednesday. But they have commenced their meeting. Whatever is the outcome, they will report back to Ministry of Labour and Employment and we are not going back.

    “If Governor Nasir el-Rufai wants to downsize or rightsize because they don’t have resources, he should prepare the cheques of various staff he wants to lay off. He must follow due process. So, we are on it; we’re not relenting.”

    “If we don’t allow it to remain on the Exclusive Legislative List, one governor can wake up and tell Labour, ‘I don’t have money to pay minimum wage, I will pay N5, 000. But, when it is on the exclusive list, there is a benchmark; you can’t come below, but you can go above.”

  • Kaduna protest: Your actions may escalate issues to uncontrollable level, FG warns El-Rufai

    Kaduna protest: Your actions may escalate issues to uncontrollable level, FG warns El-Rufai

    The Federal Government on Tuesday waded into the ongoing face-off between the Kaduna state government and labour unions.

    TheNewsGuru.com, TNG reports that the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) have embarked on a five-day warning strike and protests in the state over the sack of over 7,000 government workers.

    Meanwhile, the Governor Nasir El-Rufai led Kaduna State Government has insisted that it does not have the financial wherewithal to pay the relieved workers.

    On Tuesday, the state government declared labour union leaders wanted in the state for economic sabotage, saying the industrial action had affected key state infrastructure and services, including health and power.

    The unfazed labour union leaders also accused the state government of actions tantamount to ‘abuse of powers’, including disrupting a peaceful protest with thugs.

    According to a statement signed by the Deputy Director of Press and Public Relations at the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment, both parties should “immediately ceasefire”.

    “We are not unaware of what is going on in Kaduna State,” the Labour Minister, Chris Ngige, said, as quoted in the statement. “It is a labour issue which has snowballed into a national strike and picketing by the two labour centres and affiliate unions.

    “We hope and also pray the Kaduna state Governor not to escalate matters to such a level where it becomes uncontrollable. We also appeal to the leaders of the labour centres to step down the action to make way for discussion.

    “My Ministry is wading into the matter and therefore calls on the two warring parties to give peace a chance.”

    The Minister also appealed to all workers on essential duties including doctors and nurses not to join the strike.

    “Importantly, I appeal to workers in critical sectors not to tamper with electrical or water installations so as not to bring more sufferings to the people of Kaduna and the nation at large,” Ngige said.

    “This is because we have it on good authority, following a complaint by the Minister of Power that workers have threatened to trigger a nation-wide blackout by interfering or switching off the national grid.”

    Earlier on Tuesday, the Kaduna state government had ordered the sack of all nurses under level 14 for participating in the industrial action.

  • Kaduna govt planning to disrupt Monday protest with thugs- NLC

    Kaduna govt planning to disrupt Monday protest with thugs- NLC

    The Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC), Kaduna state chapter have raised alarm over alleged plan by Kaduna state government to mobilize hoodlums to discredit it’s planned protest on Monday in Kaduna.

    State chairman, Chairman Comrade Ayuba Magaji Suleiman, disclosed this in a statement dated May 16, 202.

    “We are calling the attention of general public to the planned mobilization of thugs by the State Government to discredit our peaceful protest of tomorrow

    “Hence, we advocate that the people of Kaduna State should be vigilant and stand against this plan,” Suleiman said.

    The congress said that, “The warrant of arrest on the National President of NLC Comrade Ayuba Waba as claimed by Kaduna State Government is an unwarranted intimidation on Labour movement.

    “This is considered as a violation of human right act. The National President’s involvement in this action is intended to protect the interest of Kaduna State workers”.

    Comrade Suleiman pointed out that earlier, the NLC were misled to commend Kaduna State Government for being the first state to implement thirty thousand Naira (N30, 000) minimum wage to both Civil Servants and the retirees.

    “But however, we noted with dismay that the government reverted to old minimum wage of Eighteen thousand Naira (N18, 000) in the month of April, 2021 Salary in the Local government council, about twenty thousand (20, 000) State civil servants received half Salary which is even less than the former Eighteen thousandNaira (N18, 000) minimum wage.

    “Health workers were denied almost all their allowances such as hazard, call duty, shifting, rural posting etc.

    “It’s disheartening to say that Kaduna State Government on the bases of their claim that it had paid up to 14 billion Naira as arrears of death benefit and gratuity from 2017 but the fact is that the same government disengaged over thirty five thousand (35, 000) civil servants in 2017 and up to date over 80 per cent have not received their retirement benefits,” it pointed out.

    The statement noted that it’s sad for Kaduna State Government to claim its commitment to training of workers while those that are qualified for promotion remain “stagnate” for years.

    “On claims by the government supporting civil servants to pay for houses through mortgages on a single digits interest, this claim is false. The reality of this, was that this mortgages was gotten by the joint efforts of NLC and TUC.

    “The State Government in its Ignorance failed to realize the obvious fact that payments of salaries have multiplying effects on the social- welfare and economy. In other words, when salaries are paid it reflects down the line.

    “The unfortunate downsizing of work force in Kaduna State was not done in accordance with the statutory Labour law, with keen examination of it’s activities from 2017 till date, over fifty thousand workers were affected.

    “It’s in the public domain that over Twenty One thousand Teachers were sacked, five (5) thousand Local Government workers were equally disengaged in 2017, while another Twelve (12) thousand State civil servants were also unfairly disengaged and the recent sacking of over seven thousand workers of local government in the month of April, 2021 these lay credence to the figure given by the NLC.

    “The claim by the State Government to promote the right of the Children of the poor to decent education, is contradictory to the recent increase in tuition fees in the State owned institutions to the tune of more than Three Hundred per cent (300%) increase,” the statement explained.

    It further said that the claim by Kaduna State Government that NLC recruited hoodlums to cause mayhem during the strike is untrue because it is not in the character of Labour to indulge in such uncivilized manner as against the nature of politicians.
    “All the affiliates of the Nigeria Labour Congress are fully committed to participate in the strike action without compulsion.

    “On this note we implore the general public to remain calm and peaceful throughout the 5 days warning strike period which we are assuring the Kaduna State workers and the general public of our commitment to maintain peaceful strike action for the interest of workers in the State and the general public,”

  • This is tantamount to ‘mass suicide’; Labour reacts to plans by FG to slash salaries

    This is tantamount to ‘mass suicide’; Labour reacts to plans by FG to slash salaries

    The Organised Labour has condemned and rejected the plan by the Federal Government to slash the salaries of workers in the country.

    The President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Ayuba Waba, who said this in a statement on Wednesday in Abuja, noted that the plan was tantamount to a “mass suicide” wish, for Nigerian workers.

    Waba said that NLC was shocked at a statement credited to the Minister of Finance, Mrs Zainab Ahmed, on the plan to reduce the high cost of governance by cutting down on the workers’ salaries.

    ”The minister also allegedly directed the National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission (NSIWC), to immediately review the salaries of civil servants as well as the number of federal agencies in the country.

    ”It is most unthinkable that the government would be contemplating to unilaterally slash the salaries of Nigerian workers at this time,” he said.

    Wabba added that, “the question to ask is which salary is the government planning to slash? It certainly cannot be the meager national minimum wage of N30, 000, which right now cannot even buy a bag of rice”.

    He expressed the belief that the proposed slash in salaries was certainly not targeted at the minimum wage and consequential adjustment in salaries that some state governors were still dragging their feet to pay.

    According to him, it is in public knowledge that the multiple devaluations of the Naira in a short time, and the prevailing high inflation rate in Nigeria, has knocked out the salaries earned by Nigerian workers across the board.

    ”Nigerian workers are only surviving by hair’s breadth. Indeed, Nigerian workers are miracles strutting on two legs.

    ”It is, therefore, extremely horrendous for a minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to pronounce salary slash for Nigerian workers currently.

    ”This call for salary slash by Mrs Zainab Ahmed is tantamount to a “mass suicide” wish, for Nigerian workers,” he said.

    While opposing the move, he demand an immediate retraction and apology by the Minister of Finance.

    The NLC president, however, said that if there was any salary that needed serious slashing, “it is the humongous remuneration and allowances pocketed by political office holders in Nigeria, who do extraordinarily little but collect so much.

    ”Workers generate surplus value and revenue for the government.

    ”We do not constitute any unnecessary cost or burden to governance. It is also important to make the point that salaries are products of contracts governed by laws. They cannot be unilaterally adjusted.”

    He said that many countries of the world were increasing the salaries of their workforce and extending social security coverage for their citizens.

    According to him, many are providing all forms of palliatives to help their people through the terrible socio-economic dislocations occasioned by the COVID-19 pandemic.

    Waba said that it would be completely strange for the Nigerian government to be thinking of a salary slash.

    “This move is not only at great odds with global best responses to the COVID-19 pandemic but also in violation of relevant ILO Conventions and Declarations on Wages and Decent Work.

    “We urge the government as a social partner to quickly respond to the demands by Labour for an upward review of salaries of all Nigerian workers.

    “Nigerian workers have shown sufficient understanding with the government through the tough patches of the pandemic.

    “Now, Nigerian workers demand reciprocity of our understanding. Nigerian workers demand an increase in their remunerations and allowances,” he said.

  • Transfer of Minimum wage to concurrent list won’t work, FG assures Labour

    Transfer of Minimum wage to concurrent list won’t work, FG assures Labour

    The Federal Government has assured workers that the transfer of the National Minimum Wage from the Executive to Concurrent list would not work.

    The Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr Chris Ngige, gave the hint at the 2021 May Day celebration, on Saturday in Abuja.

    The theme of the May Day celebration is: “COVID-19, Social and Economic Crises; Challenges for Decent Work, Social Protection and Peoples Welfare”.

    Ngige said that the new minimum wage was a national law, which would not be manipulated by anyone.

    “A tripartite clause arrangement which coordinated the government enacting the national minimum wage on April 18, 2019, and the President in signing the law, made it clear that the law takes effect on that day.

    “That law is a national law, it is not that which you can choose for anybody that falls within the ambit of that law. It is not a question of pick and choose.

    ”We moved the national minimum wage from 18,000 per month to 30,000; it is an irreducible clause and we need a social protection mechanism.

    “We therefore expect the states and people in the private sector to comply. Amendment of trying to expand that law or trying to bring the law into the concurrent list of the institution will not work,” he said.

    Mr Ayuba Wabba, the President, Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), had eariler said that any attempt to remove the national minimum wage from the Exclusive Legislative List to the Concurrent List was a mischievous effort to foster crisis, chaos and anarchy in the country.

    Wabba said that the national minimum wage served as social protection by providing a mimimum income floors to safeguard low earners.

    ”Our argument for the retention of the national minimum wage on the exclusive legislative list is to also propel the fact that the minimum wage is a tool for social inclusion and proverty reduction,

    “For Nigerian workers, it has been a catalogue of workplace and trade union rights violations.

    ”First is the criminal refusal by some state governors to pay the new national minimum wage and consequential increase in salaries, thus violating workers’ rights.

    “We have already directed all our state councils to down tool if any governor remains adamant about paying the new national minimum wage,” he said.

    The NLC president noted that the theme for this year’s celebration was apt, as Nigeria failed to protect its citizenry especially workers, from the daunting challenges occasioned by the Coronavirus pandemic.

    He noted that a recent research by Nigerian scholars said that the COVID-19 inspired lockdown threw an estimated 27 million Nigerians into poverty, ballooning the community of the working poor in Nigeria.

    According to him, this revealed that workers are the major targets of the growing insecurity across the country.

    The NLC boss further stated that in spite of efforts by government and private sector employers, millions of Nigerian workers had lost their means of livelihood and slipped into destitution, lack and misery.

    Wabba added that the weakness of the social protection system further aggravated the pain and frustration of workers.

    He noted that the recent unemployment statistics of 33.3 per cent as released by the Nigeria Bureau of Statistics (NBS), occasioned by the pandemic and arbitrary sack of workers by some state governors, had further driven the spate of insecurity being witnessed.

    “Human insecurity as marked by mass unemployment is the main driver for the physical insecurity besieging our dear country.

    “Part of the challenge of unemployment and insecurity is the crisis of poor governance. Weak budgets that led to poor appropriations and poorer budgetary oversight is the bane of our development.

    “It is unfortunate and a terrible injustice to the memory of Nigeria’s founding fathers, that virtually every part of the country has been engulfed by one form of security challenge or the other,” he said.

    Wabba, while however commending the efforts of the nation’s security apparatus, called for increased efforts and routing of security votes, through the normal budgetary process for proper oversight and accountability.

    On casualisation of workers, he urged government and private employers of labour to end the slavery of workers by consolidating the milestones already gained in the current labour law review.

    Wabba also said that Nigerian workers reject any further hike in electricity tariff, while calling for adjustments to the gas price for the power sector, suspension of gas price increases, for the next three years in order to support electricity tariff stability.

    “It is clear that the factors fuelling incessant hike in electricity tariff such as the dollarisation of gas used by GENCOs to run our power stations are issues that government can control.

    “As we speak, the promise by government to force DISCOs to mass deploy meters has been poorly pursued as pre-paid meters are still hoarded by DISCOs and sold at high price to frustrated consumers.

    ”It is on this premise that we say no to further increases in electricity tariff,” he said.

    He also raised concerns over Nigeria’s high debt profile, saying that the bulk of the adverse implications of the unreasonable risks usually affects common Nigerians and workers the most.

  • El-Rufai’s sack of 30,000 workers responsible for insecurity in Kaduna – Labour

    El-Rufai’s sack of 30,000 workers responsible for insecurity in Kaduna – Labour

    Organised Labour has linked the security challenge in Kaduna to the sack of workers by the Govenor Nasir El-Rufai led State Government.

    Labour claimed the Governor El -Rufai led administration has sacked 30, 000 workers since it came into power in 2015.

    General Secretary, Amalgamated Union of Public Corporations, Civil Service Technical and Recreational Services Employees (AUPCTRE), Comrade Sikiru Waheed, said this during the Workers’ Day celebration in Abuja.

    AUPCTRE, an affiliate of the Nigeria Labour Congress, said it would support the decision of the Congress on the fate of workers in Kaduna.

    The National Executive Council of the NLC has threatened to shut down Kaduna and economic activities following the decision of the government to sack 5, 000 workers.

    He said: “AUPCTRE is using this May Day 2021 occasion to reassure workers and its leadership as ably represented by Comrade Ayuba Wabba that we wholeheartedly support all Central Administrative Council, Central Working Committee, and NEC decisions of the NLC on burning and unpalatable industrial dispute created by His Excellency Governor Nasir El-Rufai of Kaduna State on the retrenchment of 5, 000 workers last month, totalling about 30, 000 workforce since 2015 to date.

    “This has no doubt contributed to the case of insecurity in Kaduna State and its neighbouring states of Niger, FCT and Kogi.”

    The union commended workers for their resilience despite the challenge posed by the COVID-19 pandemic.

  • Workers’ Day: Labour threatens fresh industrial action over Minimum Wage Law

    Workers’ Day: Labour threatens fresh industrial action over Minimum Wage Law

    President of the Nigeria Labour Congress, Mr. Ayuba Wabba on Saturday threatened to embark on a mass industrial action if the proposed bill which seeks to transfer minimum wage to the concurrent list is passed by the National Assembly.

    Mr Wabba made the remark during an event organised to mark Workers’ Day in Abuja.

    “There have been attempts by a section the ruling class to remove the national minimum wage from Exclusive Legislative list to the concurrent list,” he said.

    “This is condemnable. The national minimum wage is a global standard.

    “Therefore, we are reinforcing our earlier position to state that Nigerian workers will not allow a situation where the progress we have made for the past 40 years to be taken by these group of politicians we are going to insist that any day that this law is considered by any of the chambers, Nigerian workers are going to withdraw their services.”

    He also said Kaduna workers will withdraw their services for five days in protest of the sacking of workers by the Kaduna State Government.

    If the workers are not reinstated, Mr Wabba stressed, there will be a total shutdown.

    Meanwhile Minister of Labour, Chris Ngige, who was representing President Muhammadu Buhari at the event, said the new minimum wage law applies to everyone, and state governments are bound by it.

    He added that he is opposed to moving the minimum wage from the exclusive legislative list to the concurrent list.

    The minimum wage bill is being sponsored by Garba Datti, an APC lawmaker from Kaduna.

    The bill passed second reading at the House of Representatives in February.

    According to Datti, rather than impose a central minimum wage, states should have the capacity to decide their own wages, based on their own socio-economic variables and circumstance.

    However, the NLC has described the bill as anti-worker.

    On March 10, NLC members staged a protest at the Unity Fountain in Abuja before marching to the National Assembly complex to demand the bill’s withdrawal.

  • Labour to withdraw services from public, private sectors to protest mass sack of workers in Kaduna

    Labour to withdraw services from public, private sectors to protest mass sack of workers in Kaduna

    The Nigeria Labour Congress says it will withdraw services from both public and private organisations in Kaduna State for five days to protest mass sack of workers by the state government.

    The NLC President, Mr Ayuba Wabba made this known while addressing newsmen at end of the Central Working Committee (CWC) of the NLC on Thursday in Abuja.

    Wabba said the decision to withdraw the services of workers for five days in the state would become total if the state government failed to do the needful.

    He said the CWC condemned the decision of the Gov. Nasir El-Rufai to sack close to 4, 000 workers who were mostly from 23 local government areas in the state.

    “The CWC has decided and also recommended to the National Executive Council that labour will withdraw all services from either public or private. When I mean all services, it means all services for all sectors of the economy for five days in the first instance.

    “And where there is no remorse, it is going to be a total action because we believe that El-Rufai is not alone in this action; we believe that there is a neo-liberal forces and some governments are also part of it.

    “This action is going to be total and unconditional and therefore, all unions will be issuing statements and directives to their members to take this directive seriously and that the action will go ahead, ” he said.

    Wabba said that the action was taken as a last resort due to all the communications that were written on the issue to the state government and was yet to receive any attention.

    He said the CWC therefore thought that workers should not be allowed to die in silence as thousands of workers who had been sacked were yet to be paid in line with the provisions of the law.

    “More worrisome is the policy targeted at workers that have spent more than 30 years in service. In fact, the policy said that once you are up to 50 years in service you will be disengaged and be sent off like slave or at worse like a dog without any entitlement.

    “Secondly, the letter which we have seen, indicated that their entitlement will be paid in due course and that is the same letter that was issued to those teachers that were disengaged a year ago and therefore we look at this as very serious.

    ”In fact, it is something every Nigerian must condemn. That is why Nigerians must back labour on this action that labour has proposed against the Kaduna state governor, ” he said.

    Wabba noted that the governor violated all the known laws that regulate labour and industrial relation in Nigeria with some sort of disdain while carrying out his decision to sack the workers.

    He also said the CWC condemned the conversion of workers to casuals by the Kaduna state government under the pretext of paucity of funds or drop in revenue.

    “The issue of using as an excuse, the paucity of funds is also faulted because of the fact that the same state declared an excess of over N50 billion as internally generated revenue.

    ”We know as a matter of fact that Kaduna state is one of the states receiving fat revenue from the federation account and therefore one wonders why Kaduna state government will indulge in this anti-people and anti-workers posture and decision, “he said.

    The NLC president said the CWC condemned the insecurity in the country, in particular Kaduna state, saying that the mass sack would therefore compound the security situation.

    He said that the May Day would be celebrated on May 1, at the Eagle Square with only 2,000 workers instead of the 5,000 capacity with the COVID-19 protocols that would be duly observed.

    ”The theme for 2021 Workers Say is ”Covid-19 Pandemic, Social and Economic Challenges for Decent work, Social Protection and Welfare of the People”.

    ”The theme is central and captured the essence of the workers due to the fact that COVID-19 is still ravaging the countries but importantly it is also occasioned by the challenges of the economy, ” he said.