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  • FG begs Labour to shelve planned two-day warning strike

    FG begs Labour to shelve planned two-day warning strike

    The Federal Government on Monday appealed to the leadership of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) to shelve its planned two-day warning strike scheduled to begin on Tuesday, September 5.

    Minister of Labour and Employment, Simon Lalong made the appeal on behalf of the Federal Governmnet on Monday.

    Lalong cited the  gains already made by FG, among others as the reason for the appeal,  saying that all contending issues raised by the NLC will be looked into if given some time to settle down in office.

    He said, “It has become pertinent to appeal to the leadership of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) to suspend its intended two-day warning strike, as such action would be detrimental to the gains already being recorded on our course to securing a greater future for Nigerian workers and citizens at large.

    “Furthermore, I would request that the leadership of the Nigeria Labour Congress gives this government some time to settle and address the issues on the ground holistically.

    “It should be realised that the cabinet of this administration was only recently sworn in by Mr. President and all cabinet members have hit the ground running by receiving briefings from their MDAs.

    “Therefore, the issues raised by the leadership of the NLC are some issues that I and the Hon. Minister of State for Labour and Employment are being briefed upon. In the next few weeks, we intend to address them holistically.

    “Consequently, I use this opportunity to reassure Nigerian workers that this government would never take them for granted nor fail to appreciate their support and understanding.

    We shall continue to pursue policies aimed at massive employment generation in all sectors of the economy as well as look into immediate challenges that have emerged from the policies of the government. We cannot do this in an atmosphere devoid of industrial peace,” he added.

    Meanwhile, the minister noted that although the ministry was yet to get a notification of the planned strike as required by law from the NLC, the ministry would be having a meeting with the labour leaders by 3 p.m. on Monday with a view to stopping the planned strike.

  • FG begs NLC to suspend proposed nationwide strike

    FG begs NLC to suspend proposed nationwide strike

    The Federal Government has appealed to the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) to suspend its proposed 2-day nationwide warning strike over economic hardship.

    The Minister of Labour and Employment, Mr Simon Lalong, made the call at a news conference on Monday in Abuja.

    Recall that the NLC in a communique issued at the end of its National Executive Council (NLC) said it would commence a 2-day nationwide warning strike from Sept. 5 to Sept. 6.

    The NLC also threatened to embark on indefinite nationwide strike within 14 working days or 21 days from when the communique was issued unless the Federal Government addressed the excruciating suffering of Nigerians.

    Lalong said that the appeal had become necessary in order to ensure robust line of communication with Nigerians and in particular the organised labour to forestall a breakdown of industrial peace.

    He noted that the planned industrial action would no doubt reverse some of the gains already made by the administration.

    According to him, in this context, it has become pertinent to appeal to the leadership of the NLC to suspend its intended two days warning strike.

    “As such action would be detrimental to the gains already being recorded on our course to securing a greater future for Nigerian workers and citizens at large.

    “Furthermore, I would request that the Comrade Leadership of the NLC gives this government some time to settle and address the issues on the ground holistically.

    “It should be realised that the Cabinet of this administration was only recently sworn in by Mr President and all cabinet members have hit the ground running by receiving briefings from their MDAs.

    “Therefore, the issues raised by the leadership of the NLC are some issues that I and the Minister of State for Labour and Employment are being briefed upon,” he said.

    The minister however reassured Nigerian workers that this government would never take them for granted nor fail to appreciate their support and understanding.

    He also said that this administration would continue to pursue policies aimed at massive employment generation in all sectors of the economy.

    Lalong added that this would enable government look into immediate challenges that have emerged out of its policies, saying “we cannot do this in an atmosphere devoid of industrial peace.

    He also said that as a Minister of Labour and Employment, he was yet to be served official communication of the NLC communiqué, following its NEC meeting as required by law.

    He further urged the NLC to do the needful by following laid down processes for handling such matters since the cabinet was on ground.

    He assured that all the issues raised by the NLC would be looked into one after the other.

    “Allow me to first express my sympathy and that of the government of President Bola Tinubu to Nigerians and in particular the workers.

    “That is over the challenges that have arisen from the removal of petrol subsidy and other policies of the government aimed at renewing hope for the future of our dear nation.

    “In light of these matters, I would like to reiterate my appeal to the leadership of the NLC to suspend the warning strike and subsequent future actions.

    “To allow us to work together to amicably resolve these issues rather than embark on actions that would further worsen the conditions of the citizens of Nigeria,” he said.

    He therefore announced that government would be meeting with the NLC by 3 p.m. on Monday (Sept. 4).

  • Warning Strike: FG, NLC set to meet in Abuja on Monday

    Warning Strike: FG, NLC set to meet in Abuja on Monday

    The federal government of Nigeria says it’s ready to dialogue with Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) on Monday to avert the two-day warning strike scheduled to begin on Tuesday.

    However, NLC said there is no going back on the two-day warning strike but affirmed its readiness to renegotiate with FG despite breaking its previous promises.

    Already, some state chapters of the NLC said they were ready to proceed with the strike, while some others said their executive committee would meet on Monday to determine the effectiveness of the strike.

    TheNewsGuru.com reports that the NLC had in a communiqué jointly signed by its President, Joe Ajaero, and National Secretary, Emmanuel Ugboaja, on Friday said the decision to go on nationwide strike followed the failure of the President Bola Tinubu-led government to dialogue with organised labour on efforts to cushion the effects of the removal of petrol subsidy on the “poor masses”.

    The union accused the Federal Government of abandoning negotiations and failing to implement some of the resolutions from previous engagements with the government.

    The labour union listed no fewer than six grievances it had with the government, noting that its NEC resolved “to embark on a total and indefinite shutdown of the nation within 14 working days or 21 days from today (Friday) until steps are taken by the government to address the excruciating mass suffering and impoverishment being experienced around the country.”

    Continuing, the NLC accused the police of laying siege to the national headquarters of the National Union of Road Transport Workers, (NURTW) alleged violation of rights and privileges of workers and trade unions in Imo State, interference in trade union matters by the Abia State Government, proposed demolition  of houses by the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, among others.

     

  • Why NLC is embarking on nationwide strike from Sept 5

    Why NLC is embarking on nationwide strike from Sept 5

    The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) says it will commence a two-day nationwide warning strike from Sept. 5 to 6,except the Federal Government addresses the excruciating suffering of the masses.

    Mr Joe Ajaero, NLC President said this while addressing  newsmen at the end of the National Executive Council (NEC) of the congress on Friday in Abuja.

    Ajaero while reading the communiqué jointly signed by Mr Emmanuel Ugboaja, General Secretary of the Congress, said the resolutions were reached after exhaustive deliberation.

    According to him, NEC in session resolved to embark on a total and indefinite shutdown of the nation within 14 working days or 21 days from today.

    “This is until steps are taken by the Government to address the excruciating mass suffering and impoverishment being experienced around the country.

    “To commence a two-day nationwide warning strike on Tuesday and Wednesday from Sept.5 to 6  to demonstrate our readiness for the indefinite strike later in the month .

    “To also demand that the State vacates the illegally occupied National Headquarters of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW).

    “To embark on a mass protest and rally in Imo within September in preparation for a major shutdown of the state.

    “This is to compel the State government to stop the abuse and violation of the rights and privileges of workers and trade unions in the state, ’he said.

    He also added that to begin the shutdown of the operations of Air peace Airline, and other companies in the Aviation sector that were involved in serial violation of the rights of workers in the sector.

    The NLC president said this was to ensure freedom of Association and to collectively bargain.

    He called on communities around the nation to stop taking laws into their hands but report to the authorities for amicable resolution.

    He said that this was on any matter involving members of the Amalgamated Union of Food Stuffs, and Cattle Dealers of Nigeria (AUFCDN) which is one of our affiliates.

    He urged the new FCT Minister, Mr Nyesome Wike  to desist from threatening poor masses with demolition of their properties, and focus more on making houses available to the people.

    “He is not a minister of demolition and should be prepared to meet Nigerian workers and citizens on the street if he carries out his insensitive utterances,” ‘he said.

    Ajaero said  that NEC had deeply analysed the prevailing national sentiment, taking into account the extensive hardships and deprivation afflicting the citizens across all states of the federation.

    He said the council scrutinised the Federal Government’s failures to establish essential structures to address the widespread suffering in our nation.

    He also noted that it considered the government’s deliberate neglect and disregard for engaging with national stakeholders through the channels of social dialogue.

    “This is a commitment it had solemnly declared during the President’s inaugural address on May 29,”he said.

  • JUST IN: NLC declares two-day warning strike

    JUST IN: NLC declares two-day warning strike

    The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Friday said it will be embarking on a two-day warning strike over removal of fuel subsidy.

    Its President, Joe Ajaero, made the declaration while addressing a press conference in Abuja.

    To this end, he said Nigerian workers would embark on strike action on Tuesday, September 5, and Wednesday 6 in protest against the federal government for failing to address the challenges caused by the removal of fuel subsidy.

    His words: “The first increase in the pump price of petroleum products and the last one moved a lot of people from the borderline to a very high level of poverty.

    “Now, if you calculate it, you will discover that this will not translate to N1,500 per person and you ask: is that the impact? Is that really what we want to achieve? Let’s assume it’s a loan. What is really going to happen? Is it garbage in, garbage out?

    “If it is N5 billion, I think organised labour would want anybody to do the calculation and tell us how it is going to impact Nigerians on what is happening currently. If it is a loan, then it is too bad.”

     

  • NLC accuses FG of enriching State governors with palliatives

    NLC accuses FG of enriching State governors with palliatives

    The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), has accused federal government of further enriching State governors with palliatives which were supposedly meant to cushion the pains of subsidy removal.

    President of the NLC, Comrade Joe Ajaero who spoke at the NLC National Symposium tagged: ‘Nigeria Economy and the Crisis of Survival: Robbing the Poor to Pay the Rich,’ described the removal of fuel subsidy as a “war against the poor”.

    Ajaero who cited an example that governors were in the habit of converting whatever was meant for the poor masses and workers for their personal use and benefit, explained that the palliatives which the federal government was giving to a whole state were barely enough to adequately cater for just one Local Government Area in a State.

    “What is happening in the country today is clearly a class war between us the dispossessed and those that have. They want to continue to have. Whether is the issue of subsidy or whatever. So it is clearly a war against the poor. I have not seen such wickedness against the poor anywhere as seen in Nigeria today.

    “The announcement we got about the N5 billion allocation to the States is so annoying. You allocate billions to States and five trucks of rice. If you share five trucks of rice to a local government they will not get one, one cup.

    “If we accept the position of the Bureau of Statistics that we have 133 million Nigerians that are multidimensionally poor before the subsidy removal. And after the subsidy removal, the number must have increased or doubled. If you multiply 5 billion by 36 States and Abuja, you will get about 185 billion. If you divide it by 133 million which is multi-dimensionally poor, each person will not get up to N1,500. Is that the palliative?

    “You will take the palliative and give to the governors. It is obvious that anything you call palliative and give to the governors is not for workers. We all remembered how former President Buhari gave them money to offset salaries of workers but they refused to use the money to better the life of Nigerian citizens under the governance.”

    The NLC President also regretted that through the unfavorable actions of the government, the gap between the poor and rich in Nigeria was further widening, even as the middle class has been totally eliminated.

    “People can’t go to work again, there is nothing on ground for them to work on. This lamentation has continued to go on And on, and Nigerian workers are at the receiving end.

    “What the bourgeoisie is getting is not reducing. They are getting subsidy on daily basis, some of them that are importing goods, they are giving them import wavers. Their allowances are increasing but that of Nigerian workers are decreasing by the day.

    “Poverty situation is worsening, the level of unemployment is unimaginable and the same with the level of underemployment. There is hardly any Nigerian that is properly remunerated going by what is happening in the country.

     

    “The worst is that there is no social safety net. no transportation system, no housing, even if a worker saves for 35 years, the money cannot afford housing. Our pension deductions we cannot say much about it. Now what is it that government is actually doing for the citizens? Where is welfarist service component of the State to its citizens?

    “This is a call that this lamentation is more and the gap between the poor and the rich is getting wide by the day. The middle class has disappeared and there is no conscious effort to redeem the situation.”

    Speaking further, Ajaero raised concerns that government has once again begun to treat workers’ welfare with levity and was treating it with its normal lackadaisical attitude by failing honour promises of acting on concerns raised by the union for the benefit of not just public servants, but Nigerians in general.

     

     

  • NLC condemns unlawful invasion of NURTW National Secretariat

    NLC condemns unlawful invasion of NURTW National Secretariat

    The Nigeria Labour Congress(NLC) has condemned the unlawful invasion of the National Secretariat of the National Union of Road Transport Workers {NURTW) by alleged thugs and hoodlums.

    Mr Joe Ajaero, NLC Pesident who said this in a statement co-signed by Mr Emmanuel Ugboaja, NLC General Secretary on Monday in Abuja said the thugs were escorted by men in police uniform.

    Ajaero said this in a resolution reached at the end of an emergency National Administrative Council (NAC) meeting on Monday in Abuja.

    He said that the resolution was reached after exhaustively deliberation of NAC -in-session on the unlawful invasion of the NURTW National Secretariat.

    “NAC-in-session consequently resolved to demand the immediate vacation of the illegally occupied national secretariat of the NURTW by the Police and thugs within 48 hours of this resolution.

    “To demand that President Bola Tinubu being a product of democracy clears his name which is being peddled by those who have committed this brigandage and unconstitutionality from further being used to scuttle democracy.

    “That if nothing is done within an acceptable time, Nigerian workers under the leadership of the NLC will be forced to call all its affiliates out in support of

    the legally elected NURTW leadership and its members across the nation,”he said.

    The NLC president also noted that the Nigeria Police had a recent history of interfering in the internal affairs of the NURTW and indeed other unions.

    He added that the police had usurped the powers of arbitration in industrial disputes contrary to the dictates of the statutes governing the nation’s industrial relations clime.

    “The IGP has acquiesced on the invasion of the national Secretariat with a view to dethroning a legally elected leadership and installing a stooge in the Union without lawful order.

    “That there is a known democratically elected leadership of the NURTW led by Comrade Tajudeen Baruwa.

    “That violence and bloodletting may be imminent in counter response to this illegal action,”he added.

    Ajaero added that a national shutdown is possible given this undemocratic action in a democracy.

    He also said that there was need to avert further escalation has therefore become exigent.

  • How IPPIS failed to remit N26.6bn for workers in 2 years

    How IPPIS failed to remit N26.6bn for workers in 2 years

    The Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria (FMBN) says the Integrated Personal Payroll Information System (IPPIS) failed to remit N26.6 billion of workers’ contributory funds in two years.

    Mr Madu Hamman, Managing Director of FMBN, said this on Thursday in Abuja while appearing before the House of Representatives Ad hoc committee probing the non-remittance to the National Housing Fund (NHF) and Utilisation.

    According to him, from October to December 2022 there were 40 per cent unremitted payments to FMBN resulting from revenue drive by the Federal Government and a total of N11.630 billion was involved.

    “From January to December 2022, N11.587 billion was not remitted as backlog payments for MDAs from IPPIS, while N3. 356 billion was not remitted from April to July 2021 as outstanding failed payments for 2021 from IPPIS,” he said.

    Hamman explained that some NHF payments meant to be paid to FMBN as housing contributions had been wrongly made into the Federal Government Loan and Scholarships Board, adding that 14 MDAs were affected by the wrong payments.

    He said all contributors were eligible for a full refund of their contribution over the years including accrued interest of 2 per cent upon retirement.

    Others, he said, were by attainment of 60 years or inability to continue due to incapacitation or death, adding that FMBN had refunded N66.678 billion to 444,637 beneficiaries.

    Speaking on projects executed through various means, Hamman said, FMBN ensured it gave loans to register members of the association of developers.

    He said that FMBN also had the regular primary mortgage bank from interested individuals where it disbursed N139.6 billion to 24,332 beneficiaries.

    On the ministerial pilot scheme, he said the Federal Ministry of Works and Housing provided land for those on the scheme and it had spent N38 billion to build 5,443 units of housing.

    Reacting to the allegations, Mr Ekwem Dem, Deputy Director, IPPIS in the Office of the Accountant General said, ” On our own part, we are just hearing some of these allegations.”

    He said, for instance, the ‘no work no pay’ for members of ASUU remittances was still hanging, adding that there was a need for a reconciliation window, “so we can see the area of convergence”

    Rep. Dachung Bagos, the Chairman of the Committee, said it would go on oversight of some of the projects claimed to have been executed by FMBN and where they were located.

    “We are going to do some random checks to see the utilisation of this work, we are going to oversight all these projects

    ”We need to know why the Nigerian civil servants are not given what is due to them, even if we have to go with a tricycle; we will go.

    ”Some of us are engineers. We are going to receive some of these things, we must get value for our naira and Nigerians must get value for their money,” the chairman said.

    On Wednesday, the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) threatened to pull out civil servants from the NHF contributory funds over the non-remittance of deductions made.

    President of NLC, Joe Ajaero made the threat while appearing before the House of Representatives Ad hoc Committee on Non-Remittance to the NHF and Utilisation of the Funds from 2011 till Date.

    According to Ajaero FBN had refused to send alerts of how much civil servants have contributed including their monthly deductions.

    He urged the lawmakers to take drastic steps to remove the encumbrances to affordable and quality housing to millions of Nigerians especially workers who make the most contributions to the NHF.

    This according to him is as
    identified in the memorandum and other memoranda submitted to the committee.

    He said that the immediate past Managing Director of FMBN Mr Ahmed Dangiwa who is now the Minister of Housing and Urban Development said he left behind N120 billion in the coffers of
    the bank.

  • NLC threatens to pull out of NHF for non-remittance of contributory funds

    NLC threatens to pull out of NHF for non-remittance of contributory funds

    The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has threatened to pull out workers from the National Housing Fund’s (NHF) contributory funds over non-remittance of deduction made.

    Mr Joe Ajaero, President of the NLC made the threat in Abuja on Wednesday while appearing before the House of Representatives Ad hoc Committee on Non-Remittance to the NHF and Utilisation of the Funds from 2011 till Date.

    Ajaero said the Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria (FMBN has failed to send alerts to civil servants how much they have been contributing including their monthly deduction.

    He urged the lawmakers to take drastic steps to remove the encumbrances to affordable and quality housing to millions of Nigerians especially workers who make the most contributions to the NHF.

    This according to him is as identified in the memorandum and other memoranda submitted to the committee.

    According to him, the immediate past Managing Director of FMBN Mr Ahmed Dangiwa who is now the Minister of Housing and Urban Development said he left behind N120 billion in the coffers of the bank.

    “He said he was able to mobilise 249.1 billion to Nigeria’s housing fund, and increased subscription to 197,000 between 2017 and 2022.

    He said in spite of these milestones, millions of Nigerian workers who are in line with sections 4 and 10 of the Act are unable to access finance to acquire, build or renovate personal housing property.

    He said the ease of reimbursement to retired workers of contributed funds even after failure to access housing loans is also cumbersome and unnerving.

    He said in spite making the statutory contributions of 2.5 per cent of annual salary to the NHF, many workers were unable to access the loan due mainly to administrative bottlenecks.

    ”While the Act provides for 90 days from the date of application for the loan to disbursement, the experience by many workers are horrific as the undue delay in approving the loans force many workers to abandon pursuit of the loan.

    He said many resort to third party agencies to fast track the loan application at unofficial fees thus creating perception of corruption in the process of housing loan approval and disbursement to workers who needed the funds.

    Mr Madu Hamman, Managing Director, said the total amount of contribution from MDAs from 2011 till date is N238 billion, adding that individuals contribution from 2011 till date was N225 million.

    He said that the ministerial housing scheme was N34.5 billion.

    He however time to reconcile the conflicting documents from the ministerial housing pilot scheme which was missing from the one the chairman had.

    Reacting to the development, the Chairman of the committee Rep. Musa Bagos while cross examining the agency aid,with the deference in the documents submitted by the MD was inconsistent.

    He said should the committee continue with the hearing, many officials of FMBN would be on their way to Kuje prison.

    Bagos therefore adjourned the hearing to Aug 24, following a request by the MD to enable them put all the necessary documents together.

  • What we expect of new Minister – Labour leaders

    What we expect of new Minister – Labour leaders

    Two labour leaders on Sunday said the incoming Minister of Labour needed to empathise with workers, especially at a critical time when the economy was faced with challenges affecting them.

    The leaders spoke in separate interviews in Lagos State, ahead of President Bola Tinubu’s swearing-in of new ministers on Monday (today).

    The Chairman, Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Lagos Chapter, Mrs Funmi Sessi, expressed optimism in Mr Simon Lalong, assigned the portfolio of the Minister of Labour and Employment, to do well, given his experience.

    Sessi said Lalong should use the experience he had garnered as a former governor of Plateau State to also deal with the issues of labour.

    “The future is bright with labour and Lalong as the minister, all things being equal, if he will not change, and with the good industrial relationship that he maintained with the labour unions in his state.

    “I hope he will extend it to the labour centres in Nigeria, including Nigeria Labour Congress, all workers, not only in the public sector, but private as well; both formal and informal.

    ”This is necessary so that we can have the working people in Nigeria partake in the same wealth that they create; it will be a commonwealth, and that is our hope,“ she told NAN.

    The labour leader said that the sector would need a minister with compassion, experience; one who was humane.

    Sessi said, “Someone that will give all to ensure that he will create more ground for employment, productivity, high yield of productivity.”

    Also, the Secretary, Trade Union Congress of Nigeria, Lagos State Council, Mr Aladetan Abiodun, said the new Minister for Labour would be facing an inherited tense industrial space due the fuel subsidy removal.

    According to him, the removal has impacted negatively on all fixed income earners.

    “I strongly believe that if this issue is not properly managed, it may snowball into full scale industrial crisis.

    “It is precisely this reason that we want a minister who will hit the ground running.

    “Also, we want the issue of the new minimum wage to be quickly settled; this is another area where we are going to need quick intervention.

    “Furthermore, we hope under this new administration, the ministry of labour will wake up to some of its statutory responsibilities in the area of labour inspections.

    “This includes bringing employers of labour who often breach their contract of agreement with employees to order, as well as ensuring that the laws of our land are respected, particularly by foreign companies who usually show utter disrespect to our labour laws,“ Aladetan said.