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Tag: NLC

  • Again NLC rejects proposed fuel, electricity hikes; says Nigerians have suffered enough from FG’s failures

    Again NLC rejects proposed fuel, electricity hikes; says Nigerians have suffered enough from FG’s failures

    The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) on Saturday warned the Federal Government that there is a limit to how much more suffering Nigerians can endure before they revolt against it.

    It advised the government to halt all its anti-people policies.

    The NLC said the perennial increases in the price of petrol amounted to the government transferring its incompetence to the people.

    It vowed to mobilise citizens to resist any further attempt to inflict more pains on the citizens.

    The Congress also warned some governors against starving pensioners and workers of their entitlement and the new minimum wage.

    NLC President, Ayuba Wabba, in his new year message, said the labour movement was concerned about ”the deceit and duplicity associated with the politics of petrol price increase” by successive Nigerian governments.

    He said: “Our argument has been that there is a limit to the imposition of hardship and suffering on the fragile shoulders of the Nigerian people.

    ”It is gratifying that amidst the deteriorating conditions of living, Organised Labour was able to rise up to ensure that the masses of our people were not completely run over by market forces enabled by the anti-people policies of the government and at the whims of shylock capitalists.

    ”Still, the government is not relenting in its determination to push through further increases in the pump price of petrol and which as usual had been dubbed as ‘removal of petrol subsidy’.

    ”Well, Organised Labour has made its position clear on this matter.

    “We have told government in very clear terms that Nigerians have suffered enough and will not endure more punishment by way of further petrol and electricity price increases.”

    The labour leader stressed that the socio-economic pains inflicted by the unprecedented lockdown in 2020 continued to manifest throughout 2021.

    He believes another pump price increase will be insensitive.

    ”The truth is that the perennial increase by the government of the pump price of petrol is actually a transfer of government’s failure and inability to effectively govern the poor masses of our country.

    ”We are talking of the failure of government to manage Nigeria’s four oil refineries and inability to build new ones more than 30 years after the last petrochemical refinery in Port Harcourt was commissioned; the failure to rein in smuggling; and the failure to determine empirically the quantity of petrol consumed in Nigeria.

    ”The shame takes a gory dimension with the fact that Nigeria is the only OPEC country that cannot refine her own crude oil,” the NLC president added.

  • Subsidy removal: NLC rejects planned petrol price increase

    Subsidy removal: NLC rejects planned petrol price increase

    The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has called on the Federal Government to consider options to help the country embrace developmental governance and accountable leadership, while rejecting the planned petroleum price increase.

    NLC President, Comrade Ayuba Wabba, made the call in a statement he issued to newsmen in Abuja, entitled: ”Nigerian workers refused to take the bait’’.

    According to him, the Group Managing Director, Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Malam Mele Kyari, announced that petrol could cost as much as N340 from February 2022.

    Wabba described as “comical“ the bait by the government to pay 40 million Nigerians N5,000 as palliative, to cushion the effect of astronomical increase in the price of petrol.

    He said that the total amount involved what he called “queer initiative“ was far more than the money government claimed to spend currently on fuel subsidy.

    “The NNPC GMD said that the price increase would be consequent on the plans by the Federal Government to remove subsidy on Premium Motor Spirit, also commonly referred to as petrol or fuel.

    “The grand optimism of the NNPC GMD was predicated on the claims that the removal of fuel subsidy is now backed by an act of parliament probably the Petroleum Industry Act which was recently signed into law,’’ he said.

    Wabba noted that the Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Mrs Zainab Ahmed, re-echoed same on Tuesday at the launch of the World Bank’s Nigeria Development Update (NDU).

    He added that the minister announced government’s plans to disburse N5000 to 40 million poorest Nigerians each as transport grant to cushion the effect of the planned removal of the fuel subsidy.

    Wabba said the disclosures by NNPC GMD and the Minister were in symphony with the positions of the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) which urged the Federal Government to do away with fuel subsidy.

    “The response of the NLC is that what we are hearing is the conversation of the Federal government with neo-liberal international monetary institutions.

    “The conversation between the government and the people of Nigeria, especially workers under the auspices of the trade union movement on the matter of fuel subsidy was adjourned sine die so many months ago.

    “Given the nationwide panic that has trailed the disclosure of the monologue within the corridors of government and foreign interests, the NLC wishes to maintain its rejection of deregulation based on import- driven model.

    “We wish to reiterate our persuasion that the only benefit of deregulation based on import driven model is that Nigerian consumers will infinitely continue to pay high prices for refined petroleum products.

    “This situation will definitely be compounded by the astronomical devaluation of the naira which currently goes for N560 to one US dollar in the parallel market, ’’he said.

    The NLC president said that any attempt to compare the price of petrol in Nigeria to other countries would be set on a faulty premise as it would be akin to comparing apples and mangoes.

    Wabba said the contemplation by the government to increase the price of petrol by more than 200 per cent was a perfect recipe for an aggravated pile of hyper-inflation and astronomical increase in the price of goods and services.

    According to him, this will open a wide door to social consequences such as degeneration of the current insecurity crises.

  • Failed road: NLC blocks Lagos-Abeokuta expressway

    Failed road: NLC blocks Lagos-Abeokuta expressway

    The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) Ogun chapter, on Wednesday in Sango-Ota, blocked the Lagos-Abeokuta expressway over the deplorable state of the highway.

    The NLC Lagos State chapter of the congress joined their Ogun counterpart to stage the protest.

    The protesters carried placards with inscriptions: ‘’we don’t want palliatives,” ‘’we want good roads,’’ ‘’Dapo Abiodun save our souls from bad roads,” ‘‘we are not slaves in our country.”

    The NLC Chairman in Ogun, Mr Emmanuel Bankole, said that the NLC was not happy with the condition of portions of the Lagos-Abeokuta and its environs.

    “We will not allow anybody to take away our right. “In times like this, we do not have any option than to express our displeasure with government,” said.

    The chairman said that the 21 days ultimatum given by NLC after the visit of Minister of Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola to Sango-Ota, had lapsed.

    Bankole said that Fashola promised to commence palliative work on the road but nothing much had been done since then.

    “We deserve better than what we have seen today. What we see today is below our expectations,” he said.

    The NLC Chairman in Lagos State, Mrs Funmi Sessi also said, “we believe in action and the time for talking is gone. There is urgent need to ameliorate the sufferings of the masses.”

    Sessi said that the action was long overdue as people were inflicted with serious pains, following the deplorable condition of the Sango-Ota portion of the Lagos-Abeokuta expressway.

    She said that members of the Lagos chapter of NLC came to partner with its colleagues in Ogun in the struggle to ensure that good roads were delivered to the people of the state.

  • NLC shuts down public offices in Cross River

    NLC shuts down public offices in Cross River

    The Organised Labour in Cross River on Tuesday shut down public offices including schools and hospitals to press home its numeral demands.

    The organised labour involved comprised the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Trade Union Congress (TUC) and the Joint Public Service Negotiating Council (JNC).

    The group said the action followed failure of the state government to heed to its numerous ultimatums issued over its demands.

    A statement jointly signed by Chairmen of the affiliate unions listed 14 issues in contention which included nonpayment of gratuities to retirees of both state and local government councils’ workers for the past six years.

    Others are the non remittances of deductions from workers’ salaries and the full implementation of the minimum wage to both state and local government workers.

    Also listed are non implementation of promotions arrears to workers of both state and local government councils’ workers and reinstatement of pensioners wrongfully removed from payroll.

    Following the action the gates of the state secretariat were firmly locked while many other public offices were also put under lock and key.

    Some students of some secondary schools in several parts of Calabar metropolis were asked to return home by the labour leaders.

    At the General Hospital Calabar, the main entrance to the Hospital was shut to the public.

    Reacting to the situation, Mr Effiong Umoh, Special Adviser to the Governor on Labour matters, said most of the demands by the Unions had been met.

    He also said that the unions had not exhausted all avenues for dialogue before embarking on an indefinite strike.

    “The labour gave warning on Thursday and we called them for a meeting on Friday but they refused to come because they know they were to commence strike on Monday.

    “We will continue to appeal to them to consider the financial situation of government,” he said.

  • Eid-el-Kabir: NLC appeals to employers to respect workers’ sacrifice

    Eid-el-Kabir: NLC appeals to employers to respect workers’ sacrifice

    The President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Mr Ayuba Wabba, has appealed to employers to show respect for their workers’ sacrifice.

    Wabba gave the advice in a statement entitled “A worthy sacrifice for a workforce“ issued on Tuesday in Abuja to mark the 2021 Eid-el-Kabir.

    He said that elected political office holders, administrators in the bureaucracy and employers in the private sector must not forget workers sacrifice.

    According to him, so many times the labour and sacrifice of workers are held in contempt by those who should appreciate them.

    “Employers hold workers in contempt and trample upon the sacrifice they make when they owe workers arrears of salaries and deny them the minimum wage.

    “In recent times we have witnessed increasing waves of hostility, scorn and contempt on the labour and sacrifice of Nigerian workers by some elected political office holders.

    “Despite earning some of the lowest wages in Africa, Nigerian workers are usually the first to be laid off en masse and at the drop of a hat.

    “We want to use the opportunity of this year’s Eid-el-Kabir to appeal to the conscience of employers in Nigeria to show some respect for workers’ sacrifice, ’’he said.

    He also said that workers were not slaves to be used, sapped, and tossed aside, pointing out that workers were partners in progress.

    He said employers and workers must all renew their commitment to making worthy sacrifices towards building a peaceful, prosperous, inclusive, secured, and sustainable society.

    According to him, labour moves society forward and Nigerian workers deserve not just the minimum wage but a living wage.

    “We demand wage justice now! State governors yet to fully implement the national minimum wage and the consequential salary increase belong to the league of politicians who pour contempt and scorn on the sacrifice of Nigerian workers.

    “Employers who deny workers social protection benefits regard workers as no better than slaves.

    “Elected political office holders, who believe that paying workers their salaries as when due is a misplaced priority, have a misplaced sense of judgment. Such do not deserve our respect.

    “On this Eid-el-Kabir, workers must not wait for any political office holder or employer to confer worth on our sacrifice, ’’he said.

    The NLC president also called on government to take utmost caution not to criminalise social dialogue.

    According to him, social dialogue can only be meaningful when every party comes to the table in good faith.

    “Government being the custodian of the ideals of our collective civilisation must embrace social dialogue with utmost good faith. Peaceful protest is a form of social dialogue.

    “Peaceful protesters must not be harassed, humiliated, brutalised, maimed, imprisoned or killed. Violent crushing of peaceful protest sends a very dangerous signal that civilisation and indeed our shared humanity have failed.

    “The government as the embodiment of our sovereignty must ensure we never get to that point,’’ he said.

    Wabba also said that as we celebrate the Sallah this year, we must all be mindful of the prevalence of the third wave of COVID-19.

    He said that it has afflicted many countries of the world with the very virulent Delta variant.

    He urged all citizens and workers to be on guard and take necessary precautions, urging dutiful frontline workers not to let down their guard.

    He also urged them to continue to religiously observe COVID-19 handling and treatment protocol.

    Wabba, while speaking on the celebration of the Eid-el-Kabir, reminded Muslim faithful of the mercies and benevolence of Allah.

    “Eid-el-Kabir is very significant in the life of every Muslim due to the virtues and values that it conveys.

    “ The celebration of Eid-el-Kabir reminds us of the loving provision and sacrifice of Almighty Allah which has continued to sustain humanity.

    “We urge the Muslim Ummah to use the occasion of this Sallah to pray for the forgiveness of sins, peace in our country, for the safe return of all victims of hostage-for-ransom all over the country and for prosperity.

    “There can never be development without peace and security. We urge those who feel aggrieved with the state to give peace a chance.

    “We appeal to those who feel wronged by the system to give peace a chance. We implore those who feel shortchanged by society to give peace a chance,’’ Wabba said.

  • NLC dares El-Rufai, mobilises unions for resumption of suspended strike in Kaduna

    NLC dares El-Rufai, mobilises unions for resumption of suspended strike in Kaduna

    The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has said it will resume its suspended industrial action in Kaduna State.

    The congress directed its State councils and affiliate unions to mobilise for the latest action.

    President of the NLC, Comrade Ayuba Wabba stated this during a press conference after an emergency National Executive Council meeting of the congress on Tuesday in Abuja.

    Wabba accused the State Governor, Nasir El – Rufai of failing to respect the Memorandum of Understanding brokered between the NLC and the state government by the Federal Government.

    He said the congress, after exhausting all avenues, including writing letters to President Muhammadu Buhari and Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige, the Union has decided to resume the strike.

  • NLC declares indefinite strike in Nasarawa

    NLC declares indefinite strike in Nasarawa

    The Organised Labour in Nasarawa State has declared an indefinite strike to begin Tuesday, June 15.

    The Chairman of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) in the state, Yusuf Iya made the announcement on Tuesday at the Labour House in Lafia, the state capital.

    He said the decision to embark on the indefinite strike was reached after a meeting of the state executive council held on Tuesday.

    The labour unions are demanding implementation of promotions which they say have lingered for over a decade, implementation of annual increments, training among others.

    “You would recall that after the 21-day and seven-day ultimatums we issued elapsed on Wednesday, June 9 2021 and we are supposed to commence three days warning strike, but stayed action due to the intervention of the traditional rulers.

    “In view of that, the Organised Labour held an emergency meeting today Monday, 14th June 2021 and resolved that, since all the necessary protocols were followed in order to pursue our legitimate demands from the government to see the need to pay the last tranche of August 2016, implement our promotions of over a decade and conclude the national minimum wage negotiation, but which turns futile,” Iya said while addressing journalists on Tuesday.

    The Organize Labour therefore enjoined all workers to proceed on indefinite strike action as from Tuesday 15th June, 2021 immediately until an amicable resolution is reached with the Government on our demands”

    The state governor Abdullahi Sule in reaction said he is willing to pay all legitimate remunerations once the state financial capacity improves.

    The governor made the remarks when he received his coordinators recently at the government house.

    He said,” As long as we have the money, without being asked, we will address it and pay”

    “All my life, I have been promoted. I went through promotion from a simple Engineer, to Engineer I, Engineer II, to Senior Engineer, Principal Engineer, to Assist Engineer, Engineer and then I became Managing Director.

    “How could I then deny any worker the right to be promoted?”

  • Kaduna MoU: NLC petitions Buhari over El-Rufai’s ‘impunity’, threatens fresh nationwide strike

    Kaduna MoU: NLC petitions Buhari over El-Rufai’s ‘impunity’, threatens fresh nationwide strike

    The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has petitioned President Muhammadu Buhari over non-implementation of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed with the Kaduna State Government.

    The NLC also threatened a fresh nationwide strike in a letter addressed to President on Friday in Abuja.

    A copy of the petition made available to by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) showed that the NLC President, Mr Ayuba Wabba, signed the letter.

    “Your Excellency, Mr President, may recall that the first conciliatory meeting between the Nigeria Labour Congress and the Kaduna State Government took place on May 20, 2021.

    ”A major outcome of that meeting was a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU} signed by the Nigeria Labour Congress and the Kaduna State Government.

    ”The MoU specifically provided that there should be no further victimisation and harassment of workers and trade union leaders in the state especially workers who participated in the warning strike.

    ”The Nigeria Labour Congress was also expected to maintain the suspension of the strike action while negotiations continued.

    ”To our greatest surprise, after signing the MoU with workers, the Kaduna State Government has gone ahead to impugn all the clauses in the agreement freely entered with the Nigeria Labour Congress,” he said.

    Wabba said that some of the violations by the Kaduna State Government included the refusal of the state government to honour/respect the MoU signed at a meeting brokered by the Minister of Labour and Employment.

    He also noted that others were the continuous violation of workers’ rights as provided in our labour laws, punitive transfer of the State Chairperson of the NLC.

    He also said workers’ victimisation by sack for participating in the warning strike and violation of the “no victimisation” clause in the signed agreement.

    ”Non-adherence and respect for the rule of law,” he added.

    ”Your Excellency, Mr President, the National Executive Council (NEC) of the NLC on May 25, resolved that in case the Kaduna State Government remain adamant and recalcitrant or continues to pursue the path of war, threat and punitive actions against workers and their interests.

    ”That it had given the National Administrative Council (NAC) the power to re-activate the suspended industrial action in Kaduna State and also cail for the withdrawal of all workers in Nigeria without any further notice,” the petition read in patt.

    TheNewsGuru.com, TNG reports that the NLC on May 17, embarked on a five-day warning strike over sack of thousands of workers in the public service by Kaduna State Government.

    Following the Federal Government intervention, the industrial action was called off after three days and an MoU was signed between the parties on May 20.

    The NLC grivencances include alleged retrenchment of workers by the Kaduna State Government, compulsory retirement of workers on Grade Level 14 and above.

    Others are compulsory retirement of workers who have attained the age of 50 years irrespective of their Grade Levels.

    Others are the reduction of the staff strength of Local Governments to 50 in each of the 23 local government councils and the casualisation of workers on Grade Level 1-6.

  • 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.”

  • Appointment of Aremu as Director of NILS an honour to NLC – Ayuba Wabba

    Appointment of Aremu as Director of NILS an honour to NLC – Ayuba Wabba

    Comrade Ayuba Wabba, President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has described the appointment of Comrade Issa Aremu as the Director of Institute for Labour Studies (NILS) as an honour to the Congress, and said expectations from him are huge.

    TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports Comrade Wabba made this known in a letter in which he stressed that the appointment was an acknowledgement of Aremu’s contributions to the development of industrial relations in Nigeria.

    The statement reads: We bring you fraternal greetings from the Nigeria Labour Congress. We write to congratulate you on your recent appointment as the Director and Chief Executive Officer of the Michael Imoudu National Institute for Labour Studies (MINILS).

    “There is no doubt that this appointment is an honour to the Nigerian Labour movement and an acknowledgement of your contributions to the development of industrial relations in Nigeria.

    “Our expectations for you in your new assignment are huge. We expect that you use your great experience and expertise to occasion a turn around of the Michael Imoudu National Institute for Labour Studies to better play its role as a foremost institute for industrial relations.

    “While we wish you success during your term in office, once more, accept our congratulations”.

    Recall that Aremu was recently appointed as the substantive Director and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the NILS, effective from the 18th of May, 2021.

    TNG reports President Muhammadu Buhari approved the appointment as conveyed by the Minister of Labour and Employment, Festus Keyamo.

    The appointment of Aremu as the substantive Director and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the NILS was made pursuant to Section 8 of the National Institute of Labour Studies Act.

    Aremu is to hold office for a period of 4 years in the first instance as stipulated in Section 3(2) of the Act, subject to re-appointment by Mr. President on further recommendation by the Minister.