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Tag: workers

  • Workers threatens to shut down National Assembly on Monday

    The Parliamentary Staff Association of Nigeria (PASAN), National Assembly chapter, has issued a 4-day warning strike notice to commence on Monday, December 17.

    The Chairman of the association, Mr Bature Mohammed, in a statement in Abuja on Saturday, said this decision was reached in an emergency congress held on December 14.

    President Muhammadu Buhari is due to present the 2019 Appropriation bill to the joint National Assembly on Wednesday, December 19.

    Mohammed said that the warning strike which would run till Dec. 20, was to press home the demands of the association.

    The chairman advised that all members of the association should stay away from their duty posts during the period.

    Members of PASAN had on Dec. 4 shut down operations at the National Assembly when they prevented lawmakers from sitting.

    The grievances of PASAN include a new condition of service for members, promotion and payment of 28 per cent increment in salary captured as contained in the 2018 budget.

  • Benue will pay any amount adopted as minimum wage – Ortom assures workers

    Benue State governor, Samuel Ortom, has promised to pay any amount agreed upon by the negotiating committee on minimum wage.

    Ortom stated this on Tuesday in Makurdi, when members of Nigeria Labour Congress, Trade Union Congress, and other sister unions visited him to register their support for the upward review of wages.

    The News Agency of Nigeria, reports that the Organised Labour has proposed a minimum wage of N30,000, vowing to shut down the country if the demand was not met.

    Ortom, who was represented by his Chief of Staff, Mr Terwase Orbunde, said that he was not against the upward review of workers’ minimum wages “in spite of the current economic challenges bedevilling the country”.

    “I will work in line with the outcome of the new minimum wage committee.

    “I am known for championing improved welfare for workers. I did it when I was the Chairman of Guma Local Government Area.

    “When I came on board as governor, primary school teachers were not receiving the N18,000.00 minimum wage. I stepped up their salaries without waiting for them to mount pressure on me to do so.

    “I wanted them to be at par with other civil servants in the State.

    “They did not march in protest before I increased their salaries. I am not against a better life for workers,” he said.

  • N22.6bn Entitlements: FG begins payment to ex-Nigeria Airways workers

    N22.6bn Entitlements: FG begins payment to ex-Nigeria Airways workers

    The federal government has begun the payment of 50 per cent entitlements of ex-workers of the defunct Nigeria Airways who have successfully completed the verification exercise.
     
    Godwin Jibodu, chairman, Nigeria Airways Elders Forum, confirmed the development to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Monday in Lagos.
     
    Mr Jibodu said the government had kept to its promise to start crediting the bank accounts of the beneficiaries who have completed the verification process.
     
    He said: “I can confirm that some of our people have started receiving alerts and it is wonderful news to us. The payment comes three days after a pensioner completes the process.
     
    “We are very grateful to the President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration for finally coming to wipe our tears away after all these years.
     
    “The government has given hope to these pensioners and now they will be able to attend to their health issues and other responsibilities.”
     
    He said the union was optimistic that all the beneficiaries would be verified and paid the first tranche of the money before the end of the extended deadline of the exercise.
     
    A NAN correspondent who monitored the exercise on Monday at the Skypower Aviation Catering premises, Murtala Mohammed Airport, Lagos observed that government had deployed more staff to carry out the exercise.
     
    Also, there was the presence of an ambulance and medical officials to attend to the aged pensioners in case of any emergency.
     
    NAN reports that the verification exercise began on October 15 for the ex-workers of the national carrier which was liquidated in 2004.
     
    The exercise is being conducted by the Presidential Initiative on Continuous Audit (PICA) in Lagos, Kano and Enugu ahead of the disbursement of the N22.6 billion approved as part payment of their entitlements.

  • Minimum wage: We will not sign any agreement less than N30,000 – Labour

    A labour leader, Mr Joe Ajaero, on Tuesday said that the organised labour would never sign any agreement with the Federal Government on new National Minimum Wage which is less than N30, 000.
    ”N24, 000 can never be the new Minimum Wage for workers. If the government pays it, then it is an award,” Ajaero, President, United Labour Congress (ULC), said.
    Ajaero said in Lagos that the tripartite committee agreed that N30, 000 would be paid at the end of its negotiation as the New Minimum Wage for workers.
    He said it was sad that N30, 000 was adopted by the tripartite committee but the representatives of government announced N24, 000.
    The labour leader said that the organised labour would stand against it and would not sign any document, which does not reflect the true deliberation by the tripartite committee.
    He said that the committee had concluded its meeting on the new wage and labour was expecting the government to invite them to sign an agreement on the decision.
    “No more meetings. A date has been fixed to sign an agreement on the figure agreed. On that day, if the amount is not what the tripartite committee agreed, the organised labour will not sign,” he said.
    On Nov. 27, 2017, President Muhammadu Buhari, approved the appointment of a 30-member tripartite National Minimum Wage Committee for the negotiation of a new national minimum wage for the country.
    Labour collectively demanded for N65, 000 per month as the new Minimum Wage for all workers as harmonized by the organised labour.
    However, after many delays on reaching an agreement on the figure for a new wage, the NLC, TUC and the ULC on Sept. 26 went on a two-day nationwide warning strike, to protest government’s delay on the wage by not allowing the committee conclude its job.

  • New Minimum Wage: Nigerians workers will soon have reasons to smile – FG

    The Federal Government on Sunday assured Nigerians of its determination to address the agitation for the upward review of the national minimum wage.

    The Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Mr Boss Mustapha, made the promise in his remarks at the 22nd Choir Anniversary of the Christ Apostolic Church, Living Water DCC Headquarters, Abuja, tagged “Bless the Lord, O my soul.”

    Mustapha, who was represented by the Permanent Secretary (General Services Office), Office of the SGF, Mr. Olusegun Adekunle, said the present administration was sensitive to the plight and wishes of the masses.

    He said, “While this administration is determined to bring our nation to self-sufficiency and self-reliance, it is also sensitive to the plight and wishes of the Nigerian masses.

    “I assure Nigerians that the recent agitation for upward review in the national minimum wage will soon be addressed in such a way that not only Nigerian workers will smile, but the entire nation will be better for it.”

    Mustapha also admitted that Nigeria needed prayers and supports of churches at this time in the nation’s history more than any other time.

    He said while government was working hard to address the nation’s challenges, the church should continue to assist the government with prayers.

    The SGF added, “As I sincerely appreciate your prayers of the past which have helped us this far, I wish to reiterate that this government, more than ever before, needs the prayers and support of churches and well-meaning citizens.

    “I therefore call on the church to add more oil to its lamp of prayer and praise while government is working hard to perfect on restoration of security, peace and economic prosperity.

    “I have no doubt that with the indomitable weapons of prayer and praise like what we are gathering here today to do, the walls of corruption, insecurity and economic challenges will be brought down and our nation shall possess its possessions.”

    Mustapha also urged Christians to take part actively in the forthcoming elections by getting their Permanent Voter Cards and voting for leaders of their choice.

    He said if they failed to elect leaders of their choice, others would elect their choices to lead them.

    “The Church is not expected to sit back or fold their arms and watch others elect leaders for them.

    “I call on all believers to rise to their constitutional responsibilities as patriots during the forthcoming general elections and exercise their franchise.

    “If you don’t go out to elect the leader of your choice, others will elect theirs to lead you,” he added.

    Pastor Ifiok Abia, in his sermon titled ‘The accomplishment of praise and worship,’ assured Christians that as they sang praises to God, the host of heaven would defend the country.

    Abia expressed the conviction that the numerous vices currently bedeviling the country would soon be erased.

     

  • New minimum wage will take effect this year, NLC assures Nigerian workers

    New minimum wage will take effect this year, NLC assures Nigerian workers

    Peter Ozo-Esan, General Secretary, Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), has assured Nigerians workers of the payment of the reviewed minimum wage before the end of 2018.

    Mr Ozo-Esan gave this assurance in an interview with newsmen on Tuesday in Abuja.

    According to him, in spite of the delay caused by the Sallah break, the tripartite committee involved with the review of the wage will conclude its work on September 4 and 5.

    “We believe that the initial expectation that by September a new minimum wage should come on board, we think that the government still should be able to deliver that to Nigerians.

    “Nigerian workers will continue to demand that from the government and as soon as this report is submitted government should do the needful before the National Assembly, because that is the process.

    “We expect that the National Assembly will play its part in speedily considering the bill that will be placed before it and do everything possible for Nigerian workers to have a new minimum wage.’’

    On the concerns raised by state governors, Mr Ozo-Esan stressed that it was not for them to determine what to pay, but that as employers they must comply with the minimum wage as approved by law.

    “Minimum wage is not fixed for government, it is fixed for employers across the economy whether government or private employer, the law will require you to pay the minimum wage.

    “What state governments want does not matter, because this is not a political matter; the minimum wage is the barest minimum that any worker must earn and no employer can go below that.’’ he added.

    The NLC secretary general stressed that state governments mismanaging their funds have no excuse not to pay salaries, adding that Nigerian must start demanding for dividends of democracy from their leaders.

    “We urge our members to get their voter cards and vote out governors who have shown incapacity to govern,” he added.

  • 139 aid workers killed in 2017 – UN

    139 aid workers killed in 2017 – UN

    The UN said 139 aid workers were killed in 2017, 102 wounded and 72 kidnapped in the line of duty, renewing the call for civilians and aid workers everywhere to be better protected.

    Mark Lowcock, UN Emergency Relief Coordinator and Humanitarian Affairs chief, stated this while remembering all the humanitarians killed in the line of duty, just ahead of World Humanitarian Day.

    In 2008, the General Assembly designated August 19 as World Humanitarian Day to raise awareness of humanitarian assistance and pay tribute to the people who risk their lives to provide it.

    Marking the fifth consecutive year in which more than 100 aid workers lost their lives on the job, the UN said 2017 was the highest recorded annual death toll since 2013, when 156 humanitarians were killed.

    In March, three aid workers were killed in Rann town in Borno, following an attack by suspected Boko Haram insurgents, while at least one other aid worker was critically injured and another three were missing.

    Also in 2017, of the 42,972 people reportedly killed or injured by explosive weapons, three out of every four victims were civilians – a 38 per cent increase on 2017.

    Lowcock said: “It is unconscionable that civilians and the aid workers who are trying to help them are killed and maimed in conflict zones with utter impunity.

    “We need this to end. It is imperative that we hold men with guns and power accountable when civilians and aid workers are illegally targeted”.

    Each year on August 19, the world pays tribute to the humanitarians who deliver aid to vulnerable communities in some of the most dangerous crises on the planet; some of whom make the ultimate sacrifice.

    The 2018 World Humanitarian Day also marks the 15th anniversary of the bombing of the UN headquarters in Baghdad, which took the lives of 22 staff and other civilians.

    The August 2011 bombing of the UN building in Abuja by the Boko Haram terrorists, also killed at least 21 and wounded 60.

    UN Secretary-General António Guterres noted in his Protection of Civilians report published in May, that attacks in just six conflict-affected countries were responsible for more than 26,000 civilian deaths or injuries.

    The UN chief emphasied that to reverse such high numbers of civilian casualties, required sustained advocacy.

    In addition to ensuring safe, unimpeded passage of supplies, Governments and non-State military groups are legally obligated to protect civilians and aid workers in armed conflicts.

    “It is imperative that we hold men with guns and power accountable when civilians and aid workers are illegally targeted,” Lowcock argued.

    The UN and humanitarian partners have launched a ‘living petition’ as the theme for the 2018 Day, calling on world leaders to better protect civilians and aid workers.

  • Respite for workers as FAAC releases N668bn to FG, states, LGs to pay salaries

    The Federation Accounts and Allocation Committee (FAAC) reached a compromise to release N668.898 billion to the three tiers of government for the month of May, pending the resolution of issues raised by the state governors over remittances from the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC).

    The Federal Ministry of Finance on Friday, that, the move was to cushion the hardship being experienced by civil servants in many states of the country, who have been unable to receive their June salary.

    The ministry’s director of information, Hassan Dodo, who signed the statement said, “efforts are being intensified to address the unsatisfactory remittances.”

    Recall that the 36 state governors had accused revenue generating agencies, especially the NNPC, of withholding some monies that ought to go into the federation account for sharing.

    The N668.898billion released on Friday afternoon, according to Dodo, “is made up of statutory distributable sum of N575.475 billion and N 93.423 billion from the Value Added Tax (VAT).”

    The Federal Government received N282.223 billion of the total; State Governments – N181.167 billion; and Local Government Councils – N136.490 billion.

    The Oil Producing States got N53.071 billion as 13 per cent derivation while N15.947 billion was paid to the revenue generating agencies as costs of collections.

    The statutory revenue of N575.475 billion received for the month of May 2018 was lower than the N613.057 billion received for April 2018 by a total of N37.582 billion. From the total statutory revenue of N575.475 billion, the Federal Government was given N268.770 billion; the States – N136.324 billion; Local Government Areas – N105.100 billion; the Oil Producing States – N53.071 billion, and the revenue generating agencies received N12.210 billion as costs of collections.

    For the month of May 2018, the total revenue of N93.423 billion from the Value Added Tax (VAT) was N5.458 billion higher than the N87.965 billion distributed in April 2018.

    From the total of N93.423 billion, the Federal Government received N13.453 billion; the States received N44.843 billion; the Local Government Councils received N31.390 billion, while N3.737 billion was received by the revenue collecting agencies.

    Before the funds were released, state governors had directed their finance commissioners not to shift ground, unless the NNPC was prepared to remit fully, what is expected of it, into the federation account.

    As a first measure to stop future shortchanging of the federation account, the state governments had resolved to “strengthen the processes” of making revenue generating agencies transmit accurate amounts to the federation account.

    For three consecutive FAAC meetings, the remittances to the federation account by the NNPC had generated controversy, with the issue coming to a head, when NNPC remitted N127 billion into the account, instead of the expected N147 billion from royalties and Petroleum Profit Tax (PPT).

    The impasse forced Finance Minister, Kemi Adeosun, to seek President Buhari’s intervention in the matter.

  • Workers to know new minimum wage in August – TUC

    The President of the Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC), Mr Bobboi Kaigama, announced on Wednesday that a new amount agreed on by the Federal Government and labour to serve as Nigeria’s new minimum wage would be announced next month.

    Bobboi, who made the disclosure in an interview with the labour newsmen in Lagos, said that the committee working on the minimum wage had almost concluded negotiations on the matter.

    The Federal Government had set a September date to roll out a new minimum wage for workers, although the Minister of Labour, Dr Chris Ngige, was recently reported as “double-speaking’’ on the issue.

    Civil servants in Nigeria are eagerly awaiting a wage increase after years of enduring a wage structure, described by analysts as one of the lowest in the world.

    But public office holders in Africa’s most populous nation, including members of the bi-cameral parliament enjoy some of the biggest wages in the world, according to analysts.

    Kaigama said that a tripartite committee meeting was holding on Wednesday in Abuja but refused to elaborate on issues being discussed at the meeting.

    “The tripartite meeting is holding today but I do not want to pre-empt the outcome or the level we have reached in our discussions, otherwise there will be unnecessary anxiety.

    ”But by the end of August, I am assuring you that workers will know what the agreed new minimum wage will be, ” he said.

    On Nov. 22, 2017, President Muhammadu Buhari approved the appointment of a 30-member committee to work out a new minimum wage. He inaugurated the committee on Nov. 27.

    Buhari was, subsequently, hailed by workers for listening to their cries for a review of the current N18, 000 minimum wage put in place by former President Goodluck Jonathan in 2011.

    The labour movement, including the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the TUC had previously demanded N56, 000 as new minimum wage.

    However, the President of the NLC, Mr Ayuba Wabba later submitted a memorandum to the wage committee, demanding N66, 500 “living wage’’.

    Wabba said the living wage was necessary to restore confidence for workers, whom he said, had been devastated by years of exploitation and enduring slave wage.

    The committee negotiating the new wage is made up of representatives of the Nigeria Employers’ Consultative Association, the TUC/NLC and the government, represented by the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment.

  • MTN breaks silence, speaks on NLC’s picketing, alleged casualisation of workers

    MTN breaks silence, speaks on NLC’s picketing, alleged casualisation of workers

    The Human Resource Executive of MTN Nigeria, Esther Akinnukawe, has denied that the telecommunications company engaged casual employees.

    “We do not have casual employees in MTN; I am not aware that MTN engages in casualisation.

    “The company partners with `service providers’ to recruit workers,’’ Akinnukawe told journalists on Wednesday on the third day of MTN picketing by the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC).

    She fielded questions from journalists in Lagos at the MTN Nigeria Headquarters, Falomo, Ikoyi, Lagos, which has been under lock and key due to the picketing.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the NLC accused MTN of employing workers on casual basis.

    The organised labour also alleged that the company prevented its employees from belonging to unions.

    Akinnukawe told journalists that outsourcing was being mistaken for casualisation, adding that all MTN workers were full-fledged staff.

    She said that NLC should dialogue with `service providers’ on how to resolve any employment issue.

    According to the official, use of `service providers’ in employment was in line with international best practices.

    The human resources executive said that the Ministry of Labour and Employment licensed operations of such service providers.

    Meanwhile, the NLC President, Ayuba Wabba, has denied the allegation that the congress destroyed MTN property while picketing the multinational company.

    “We do not intend to do so, as that is not our objective. We are clear about our objectives, and we shall not allow anything to distract us.

    “We are responsible workers and alive to our responsibilities,’’ he told journalists on the third day of the picketing in Lagos.

    He said that NLC had been peaceful and orderly in the picketing.

    The labour leader urged MTN Nigeria to respect workers’ right to freely associate, in line with constitutional provisions, adding that the congress was committed to ensuring freedom of association for Nigerian workers.

    Wabba had on Monday said: “In MTN, all the workers are casual, they have no right to social protection; they are not allowed to freely bargain for a better work condition.

    “A worker is sacked after working for about three to four months. The worker is asked to reapply. This is unfair, and we will not continue to allow it.’’

    He said that the NLC, Nigeria Employers’ Consultative Association (NECA), relevant unions and MTN management from from South Africa held a bilateral meeting in Abuja but could not reach an agreement.

    “NLC told MTN to respect Nigeria labour laws but they refused; that is why workers are impoverished. We do not expect this treatment because it is a multinational company,’’ he said.

    The Association of Telecommunications Companies of Nigeria (ATCON) had in a statement in Lagos alleged that the picketing was an intentional attempt to frustrate efforts to provide seamless telecommunications.

    ATCON alleged in the statement signed by its Executive Secretary, Ajibola Olude, that NLC was violent in the picketing.

    “ATCON thinks if NLC wants to do anything at all, it should have peacefully carried out its picketing.

    “Our members are law-abiding corporate organisations that have been contributing to the wealth of Nigeria,’’ it said.