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Tag: Sack

  • Photo: PENGASSAN pickets oil company over sack of 64 workers

    Photo: PENGASSAN pickets oil company over sack of 64 workers

    Oil workers, under the aegis of Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN), on Tuesday picketed the office of Baker Hughes, a multinational oil company, over sacking of 64 workers.

    The picketing took place at the Mansard House, Victoria Island area of Lagos State.

    Some aggrieved members were seeing chanting solidarity songs, while holding placards of various inscriptions, to drive home their demands.

    Some of the inscriptions on the placards read: “We say no to bad labour practices; “BakerHughes stop denying us our rights.”

    Mr Leroy Musa, Industrial Relations Officer, PENGASSAN, Lagos Zone, said that in spite of the pleas and meetings held with the company’s management, it still locked out the employees.

    “The management was with PENGASSAN discussing conditions for separating members which usually is supposed to be a voluntary separation, agreed by law and signed, before implemented.

    “Our members got to the office only to be locked outside the office on the ground that they have been sacked.

    “No pre-notice, no meetings and nothing to prepare the workers’ minds; we are here to say no to the injustice.

    “PENGASSAN is against this, and we will fight against it,” Musa said.

    Also, the Industrial Relations Officer, PENGASSAN, Baker Hughes Branch, Mr Olisa Igwebike, said the company’s management had breached the agreements made earlier by both parties.

    According to him, due process should have been followed before the management locked out the workers.

    “Typically, once negotiation has been done, we now agreed on the numbers of people that will be laid off and decided that we will be having a meeting afterward to complete all other modalities.

    “When the meeting was to take place, the management locked out all the workers including union members; the management has already broken the process chain.

    “It just means that as an entity, PENGASSAN, the management has no respect for authority, laws of the land and flouted the Department of Petroleum Resources and Ministry of Labour rules,” Igwebike said.

    Responding, Mr Olusegun Obagbemi, the Communications Director, Baker Hughes, confirmed the development.

  • Covid-19: Chevron to sack 25% of its workforce in Nigeria

    Covid-19: Chevron to sack 25% of its workforce in Nigeria

    Chevron Nigeria Limited (CNL) has announced it will cut down its workforce in Nigeria by 25 percent across various levels.

    CNL disclosed this in a statement titled ‘Chevron Nigeria Limited Reviews Workforce in Accordance with Business Exigencies’, on Friday.

    The company said the decision was taken as a result of the prevailing business climate caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and low crude oil prices.

    Esimaje Brikinn, CNL’s general manager policy, government and public affairs, in the statement, added that the 25 percent job cut was to reposition the oil firm for greater efficiency and competitiveness.

    “CNL and its affiliates, confirms that it is reviewing its manpower requirements in the light of the changing business environment, while continuing to evaluate opportunities to improve capital efficiency and reduce operating costs,” Brikinn said.

    “In this process, the company will be streamlining its workforce and improving service delivery and overall performance at all levels. This will increase efficiency and effectiveness, retain value, reduce cost, and generate more revenue for the federal government of Nigeria.

    “It is important to note that all our employees will retain their employment until the reorganisation process is completed.”

    Brikinn also dismissed speculations that the exercise was to outsource jobs done by Nigerians to foreigners, adding that CNL is working with its joint venture partners, the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), and the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR), on the process.

    “We have prospects for our company in Nigeria; however, we must make the necessary adjustments in light of the prevailing business climate; and we need everyone’s support to get through these tough times stronger, more efficient and more profitable, in order to sustain the business,” he said.

    “We are actively engaging our workforce to ensure they understand why this is being done. We will continue to consistently engage all relevant stakeholders, including the leadership of the employee unions as we continue this process of business optimisation.

    “Making changes to the organisation is never easy for anyone that will be impacted, but it is necessary to improve our ability to remain competitive in Nigeria.”

    However, according to NAN, CNL workers under the auspices of the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN), during a protest on Friday in Lagos, said 600 employees of the company risked losing their jobs.

  • Shut down your private hospitals or be sacked, Nasarawa govt tells doctors on payroll

    Shut down your private hospitals or be sacked, Nasarawa govt tells doctors on payroll

    The Nasarawa State Government has resolved to sack any medical doctor who is on government payroll and still run a private hospital.

    The state Commissioner for Justice, Abdulkarin Kana, who spoke to journalists yesterday after the state executive council meeting, added that they must close down their private hospitals.

    He said the action would allow them concentrate on their responsibilities and avoid diverting patients to their private hospitals

    The state executive council also approved the establishment of the state Bereau for Rural Development to FastTrack development at the grassroots in the state.

    The state Commissioner for Information, Culture and Tourism, Dogo Shammah said the newly created bureau would have responsibilities of managing all rural roads, electricity and ensure supply of water to rural areas across the state.

    Other responsibilities of the bureau according to the information commissioner include upgrading and maintenance of feeder roads among others.

    Shammah noted that the council also approved the introduction of special scholarship scheme to encourage state indigenes who are studying medical related courses in other to reduce the high rate of inadequate medical personnel in the state.

  • BREAKING: FG breaks silence on alleged sack of UNILAG VC

    BREAKING: FG breaks silence on alleged sack of UNILAG VC

    The Federal Ministry of Education (FMoE) said it has not been briefed on the purported removal of Vice-Chancellor of the University of Lagos (UNILAG) Prof Oluwatoyin Ogundipe from office by Governing Council of the university.

    Spokesperson of the FMoE, Ben Goong, said this in a statement in Abuja.

    The statement noted that while the ministry awaits proper briefing from the university authorities, it must be reaffirmed that council has the power to hire and fire.

    The statement however said that due process must be followed in doing so.

    It reads: “My dear colleagues, the Federal Ministry of Education wishes to state that it is yet to be briefed on the developments at the University of Lagos regarding the purported removal of the VC.

    “While the Ministry awaits for the proper briefing from the university authorities, it is important to reaffirm that council has the power to hire and fire but that due process must be followed in doing so.”

    Ogundipe’s ‘removal’ from office was announced in a statement by the Registrar and Secretary to Council, Mr. Oladejo Azeez, in a statement titled: Notice to the General Public on the removal of the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Lagos.

    The council based the decision on gross misconduct, financial recklessness among others.

    But the embattled Vice Chancellor insisted he remained in office, stating his purported removal was a figment of imagination.

  • FG intervenes as Air Peace considers recalling sacked pilots

    FG intervenes as Air Peace considers recalling sacked pilots

    The Federal Government on Tuesday intervened in the brewing controversy following the sack of over 70 pilots by the Air Peace Management last week.

    TheNewsGuru.com, TNG reports that the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) had also earlier urged the management of Turkish Air, Air Peace and Bristow Helicopters to reinstate all the sacked workers within two weeks.

    According to reports, the Minister of Aviation, Sen. Hadi Sirika had earlier called an intervention meeting between the airline’s management and the leadership of the National Association of Airline Pilots and Engineers. Both parties were said to have settled their grievances with Air Peace pledging to recall some of the sacked pilots.

    The spokesperson of the Federal Ministry of Aviation, James Odaudu, confirmed this in a statement issued in Abuja on Tuesday.

    He said a verbal agreement was reached as the Chairman of Air Peace, Allen Onyema, acceded to the minister’s appeal for the recall of the maximum number of pilots that the airline could accommodate without going under.

    The statement, titled ‘Air Peace to recall some sacked pilots as Sirika intervenes’ said the pilot’s association, led by its Chairman, Galadima Abednego, agreed that some missteps could have been made in the course of the standoff between the airline and the union.

    It said the association appealed to the minister to intervene in order to resolve the impasse.

    Abednego stated that as a union, it was a painful thing to see a large number of their members thrown into the labour market as he appealed to employers of labour to see the union members as partners and not adversaries.

    On his part, Onyema expressed his sadness and disappointment over what he called the ingratitude of some of the airline’s pilots despite everything done to make them comfortable on their jobs.

    He recalled how Air Peace had trained over 80 pilots and an equal number of aircraft engineers, giving its staff the best remuneration package within the sector only for them to disappoint at a time their understanding was needed.

    The Air Peace boss, however, commended Sirika for providing the required leadership to the industry and promised his full cooperation in ensuring the growth of the aviation sector in Nigeria.

    Sirika, in his remark, called for the understanding of everyone, especially the labour unions as regards the prevailing situation in the aviation industry.

    He said it was not time for unnecessary upheavals.

    He commended Onyema for his contributions in developing the industry.

    “The minister appealed to him to recall the maximum number of the sacked pilots that the airline can comfortably accommodate in the prevailing circumstances to which the airline operator agreed,” the statement added.

    Sirika called on all stakeholders in the aviation industry to put all hands on deck in ensuring a rapid recovery from the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.

  • Urhobo youths gives Buhari 7-day ultimatum to sack Akpabio over corruption in NDDC

    Urhobo youths gives Buhari 7-day ultimatum to sack Akpabio over corruption in NDDC

    THE Urhobo Youth Assembly, UYA, has urged President Muhammadu to sack the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Senator Godswil Akpabio within seven days.

    UYA in a letter to the President dated August 7, 2020, alleged that in the past 20 years of existence of the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, no statutory board of the commission has been so reckless and controversial with its finances like the revelation going on now.

    The youth group told President Buhari that the constituted Interim Management Committee, IMC, is not known to the NDDC Act 2000. The UYA letter was signed by Jude Akpore and Frank Onogagamue, President and Secretary respectively.

    The letter read: “The entire leadership and members of the Urhobo Youth Assembly drawn from the 24 Kingdoms spread across the eight Urhobo speaking Local Government Councils of Delta Central and our Urhobo brothers in Warri South, Bomadi and Patani rose from a crucial emergency national meeting in Ughelli over the weekend.

    “The meeting was called principally to review the state of the nation via the high powered corruption that has bedevilled the regional interventionist agency, The Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) under the supervision of Chief Godswill Obot Akpabio as a minister.

    “With over 350 youth leaders in attendance, the National President of the UYA, Comrade Jude Akpore briefed the house of the imperatives of ensuring that the Urhobo people with their huge petro-dollar oil and gas resources are not relegated to the back seat when issues that concern the Niger Delta Development are being discussed both at the state and national level.

    “The Urhobo nation with over 21 flow stations and cumulative production capacity of over six hundred thousand bpd and host to the largest gas plant in Sub-Sahara Africa, the Otorogu gas plant cannot play second fiddle in the nation’s oil and gas politics and developmental stride.

    “Generally, the Urhobo Youths with over 700,000 votes have constantly supported your administration anti-corruption drive and we, therefore, cannot see reason why the current happenings at the NDDC where over N81billion have either be stolen or pocketed by some few individuals under the three members kangaroo Interim Management Committee (IMC) should be allowed to continued.”

    The UYA resolved, “That the Federal Government should within the next seven days sack the controversial Minister of Niger Delta Chief Godswill Obot Akpabio, and initiate a thorough process of arresting and prosecuting all those who have looted and diverted funds meant for the development of the oil and gas producing communities of the Niger Delta Region.

    “That it is imperative for the government to know that no statutory board of the NDDC in the past 20 years of its existence has been so financially reckless and controversial like this Chief Godswill Obot Akpabio imposed three members kangaroo Interim Management Committee (IMC) that is not known to the NDDC Act 2000.

    “That our group has carried out a detailed investigation of all the nominated members of the board who have been screened and confirmed by the National Assembly under the chairmanship of His Excellency Dr. Pius Egberanmwen Odubu and MDship of Chief Bernard Oboatarhieyeren Okumagba and have no hesitation in demanding for their immediate inauguration as persons of high integrity who have displayed high-level professionalism in their previous Government positions.

    “That our group is also pleased, that in all the controversial happenings at the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) and the Ministry of the Niger Delta Affairs, one man stood out that is the Honourable Minister of State for Niger Delta, the Distinguished Senator Omotayo Donald Alasoadura who we have discovered to be forthright, committed and honest to the Niger Delta Development project.

    “And we, therefore, have no hesitation in recommending that he be elevated to the enviable position of the Minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to be in charge of the Federal Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs. “That for proper coordination and monitoring of government funding of agencies with responsibilities for elevating the living standard of downtrodden people of the Niger Delta.

    “We suggest that just like the NDDC the presidential amnesty programme should also be brought under the ministry of Niger Delta Affairs.”

    Finally, the Congress wholeheartedly endorsed all the pragmatic efforts of President Muhammadu Buhari geared towards addressing the multidimensional problems that has bedevilled oil and gas-rich region of the country and we will continue to speak up anytime any day.”

  • Mass sack: NLC wades in, gives Air Peace, Bristow two-week ultimatum to recall pilots

    Mass sack: NLC wades in, gives Air Peace, Bristow two-week ultimatum to recall pilots

    The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has urged the management of Turkish Air, Air Peace and Bristow Helicopters to reinstate all the sacked workers within two weeks.

    Mr Ayuba Wabba, NLC President, said this in a statement on Friday in Abuja, while condemning the recent sack of 100 Pilots by Air Peace, 69 Pilots by Bristow Helicopters.

    Wabba said that the Congress also rejected sack of the National Union of Air Transport Employees (NUATE) executives working with the Turkish Air.

    “We call on the management of Turkish Air, Air Peace and Bristow Helicopters to reinstate all the sacked workers within two weeks.

    “As agreed between labour and Employers’ Association, social dialogue should be used to resolve industrial concerns instead of the current resort to unilateralism.

    “We will not hesitate to mobilise the weight of the entire Nigerian workforce to the premises of Turkish Air, Air Peace and Bristow Helicopters if our demands are not met,” he said.

    The NLC President said that the sack was traumatic for workers who were still reeling from psychological and socio-economic difficulties imposed by the recent lockdown measures.

    He said that the sack of Air Turkish, Air Peace and Bristow Helicopters workers was “highly insensitive, callous, and unjust’’.

    Waba said that the unilateral sack of executive members of the National Union of Air Transport Employees (NUATE) working with Turkish Airline was particularly distressing.

    “These workers were sacked for fighting for the rights of Nigerian workers in Turkish Air. This is very reprehensible.

    “We wish to remind Turkish Air that unionised workers cannot be punished or sacked for participating in trade union activities.

    “This action is aimed at frustrating unionisation in Turkish Air and to enslave Nigerians working with Turkish Air,” he said.

    According to him, the anti-labour practices in Turkish Air constitute fundamental infractions on the Constitution and labour laws and also a gross disrespect to Nigeria.

    He said that Section 40 of the 1999 Nigerian Constitution guarantees freedom of association including the right to join and participate in the activities of trade unions.

    “Furthermore Section 12 sub section 14 of Nigeria’s Trade Union (Amendment) Act 2005 provides for voluntary membership of trade unions.

    “It also stipulates that no worker should be victimised for joining a trade union or participating in the activities of a trade union.

    “We posit that the sack of NUATE executives working with Turkish Air violates their human and trade union rights,” he said.

    Wabba however, said that it was unfortunate that the management of Air Peace had exploited the atmosphere of industrial tyranny in the company.

    “This had forbidden workers from joining trade unions to strike the fatal blow on the livelihood and career of the sacked workers,” NLC leader said.

    He warned that the absence of unions in Air Peace would not stop NLC from fighting for the rights of the sacked workers.

    Wabba said that the congress would fight for the reinstatement of the sacked workers and for workers’ unionisation in Air Peace.

    “We deplore the offering of poor workers as the sacrificial lambs by unscrupulous business owners.

    “During the good times, workers were the hands that created the profit and wealth. During bad times, we expect businesses to repay the faith and commitment of the workforce.

    “As was done to the financial sector, we urge government to immediately release palliative support to the aviation industry.

    “Clearly, we have a bumpy road ahead of us as the nation and the world recovers from the fallout of COVID-19,’’ he said.

    The NLC president said that workers were ready to play their part towards the restoration of full productivity and industrial normalcy.

    He said that this would only be achieved in an atmosphere of mutual respect and sensitivity.

    “We also call on all workers to understand that these are dreary times. Workers must take the issue of the defense of their rights seriously.

    “Workers should insist on their rights to join unions. This is a safety valve. No employer is allowed by our laws to intimidate workers out of their constitutionally guaranteed rights to join trade unions,’’ Wabba said.

  • Appeal Court upholds sack of Oyo Council chairmen

    Appeal Court upholds sack of Oyo Council chairmen

    The Court of Appeal sitting in Ibadan on Wednesday set aside the Oyo State High Court’s judgement restraining the state governor and or government from dissolving local government councils in the state.

    Justice Haruna Tsammani who delivered the judgment said the sacked local government Chairmen failed to show verifiable facts of the plan by the Oyo State governor to dissolve the councils.

    Tsammani said the case initiated was based on mere speculations and conjectures.

    Bashorun Bosun Ajuwon had instituted the case on behalf of the Oyo State chapter of the Association of Local Government of Nigeria (ALGON).

    The Governor Seyi Makinde led government and the embattled council bosses had been at loggerheads over the control of the local government and local council development areas.

    The judgement elicited jubilation as the Court of Appeal premises which was filled by supporters of the state chapter of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) erupted in loud songs of victory.

    The court after considering all evidences and submissions of both legal teams upheld the validity of the decision of the Oyo state government to dissolve the sacked ALGON.

    Recall that ALGON had approached an Ibadan high court after Governor Makinde, few hours after he was sworn in, sacked its members who were elected by the administration of late former governor Abiola Ajimobi.

  • Barca chief denies Setien one defeat away from sack

    Barca chief denies Setien one defeat away from sack

    Barcelona president Josep Maria Bartomeu has rubbished reports of coach Quique Setien being on the verge of the sack.

    It’s been claimed victory over Villarreal saved Setien from the axe.

    But Bartomeu insisted: “I know there are rumours. It’s wrong.

    “Victory did not save him. He is doing a good job. He has our complete confidence.”

    Bartomeu’s comments arrive as Xavi, who has been linked with Setien’s job, extended his deal with Al Sadd to 2021.

  • Valencia sack coach following back-to-back defeats

    Spanish La Liga clubside Valencia said on Monday they had sacked coach Albert Celades and appointed sporting director Voro until the end of the season.

    The team have picked up only four points in five matches since the season re-started after the COVID-19 hiatus, slipping way behind in contention for UEFA Champions League qualification.

    Back-to-back defeats by Eibar and Villarreal respectively left them eighth in the standings on 46 points, eight points behind fourth-placed Sevilla with six games remaining.

    Valencia appointed Celades last September after taking the surprising decision to dispense with Marcelino, who had led the club to successive top-four finishes.

    This had ended an 11-year wait for a major trophy, and Marcelino had guided them to win the Copa del Rey.

    Celades had never previously been a first team coach at club level.

    He had built his reputation as Spain’s under-21 coach and as an assistant to Julen Lopetegui with the Spain side and Real Madrid.

    Celades made a difficult start in losing his first game in charge 5-2 to FC Barcelona.

    But he improved his reputation by taking the team into the last 16 of the UEFA Champions League, where they were eventually knocked out by Atalanta 8-4 on aggregate.