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Tag: workers

  • We want more Nigerian workers in our country – Qatar

    We want more Nigerian workers in our country – Qatar

    The State of Qatar has expressed its willingness to have more Nigerians in its labour force.

    Mr Ahmad AL-Horr, Chargé d’Affaires of the Embassy of Qatar in Nigeria, said this when he visited the Minister of Labour and Employment, Sen. Chris Ngige on Friday in Abuja.

    According to AL-Horr, the Government of Qatar needs the collaboration with the Nigerian Government on migration of workers owing to the limited number of Nigerians working in the country

    He said that his country cared about workers protection for engineers, doctors and indeed all other professions.

    “We are processing the bilateral agreement between the Government of Nigeria and the Government of Qatar on the Regulation of Employment of Nigerian migrant workers in the State of Qatar.

    “We need the relationship with the labour ministry because the number of Nigerian workers in Qatar is limited. We want more Nigerian workers in our country,’’he said.

    AL-Horr added that Qatar was ready to host the FIFA World Cup, the biggest football tournament in the world, starting from Nov. 20 and ending on Dec. 18, which is the country’s national day.

    He also said that Qatar was looking forward to welcoming the minister at the World Cup.

    Responding , Ngige said that his ministry was looking forward towards formalising the bilateral agreement between Nigeria and Qatar on labour migration.

    Ngige blamed the alarming rate of unemployment in Africa on high number of young people between the ages of 17 and 35, who constitute 60 per cent of the population.

    According to him, in Nigeria, the youth constitute about 60 percent of the population,with unemployment ratio of about 34 per cent.

    “If you include underemployment, you will be talking about close to 40 percent, which is also very alarming.

    “That is why we are looking forward as a country towards formalising labour migration agreement with you.

    “Your country has been identified as one of the destinations for people who are looking for work.

    ” You have even reiterated here that the Nigerian component of foreign workers in your place is limited, ’’he said.

    The minister added Nigerian overnment is very interested in the agreement to provide opportunities for Nigerians in the Gulf country.

    He gave the assurance that the ministry would work assiduously to ensure that President Muhammadu Buhari would sign the agreements during his planned state visit to Qatar.

    “We need Nigerians to work in your place. We also appeal to you to find a way of formalising the stay of Nigerians who are living and working in your place illegally,’’he said.

    Ngige also expressed hope that Nigerians would work well in Qatar as both countries are oil and gas producing countries.

    He added that a lot of Nigerians, trained in oil and gas, would be assets to Qatar if allowed to work in the country.

    Also present at the meeting were Mrs Matilda Mmegwa, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Job Creation and some directors in the ministry.

  • Sokoto APC asks gov’t not to transfer junior state workers’ salaries to LGs

    Sokoto APC asks gov’t not to transfer junior state workers’ salaries to LGs

    The Sokoto State All Progressives Congress (APC) has asked the state government to halt the planned transfer of salaries of junior workers from the Ministry of Local Governments to the Local Government Areas.

    The State APC Chairman, Alhaji Isa Sadiq-Achida gave the advice in a statement issued in Sokoto on Saturday.

    According to the statement, ”The state chapter reliably learnt of the move, which was intended to be used as a political weapon against staffers suspected of supporting parties other than the ruling party in the state.

    “It is instructive to note that, for years now, there have been calls for the granting of financial autonomy to Local Government Councils, as contained in the relevant laws.

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    “This was practised by previous administrations in the State. But, unfortunately, the calls have all along fallen on deaf ears.

    “However, within the past few weeks, in the wake of growing discomfort on the part of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), administration in Sokoto, the ministry for LG announced plans of the staff salaries transfer.

    “Therefore, let me warn that the APC will resist any attempt to infringe on the rights of every law abiding citizen by way of withholding his salary, for political reasons.”

    The APC Chairman added that the new found love of local government staff by the state government was both surprising and suspicious.

    “Otherwise, how can a government that has defied all calls by well meaning citizens, for the past three years, suddenly decide to introduce this half-measure.

    “If the government is indeed serious and sincere in wanting to improve the LG system in the state, it should rather fulfill its promise of paying N30,000 minimum wage to LG staff and Primary School Teachers.

    ”It should equally release the LG funds being held in its custody and which we have reason to believe is mostly being illegally diverted to inexplicable purposes,” he alleged.

    He said the sincerity of the government will enable the LGs to execute life-changing projects for their people.

    Sadiq-Achida added, ”This is the best and most effective way to transform the LG system and improve the security situation in the state as well as make life worth living in the rural areas.”

    However, in a swift reaction to the allegations, Sokoto State Commissioner for Home Affairs, Alhaji Abdullahi Hausawa said the gesture was intended to give more powers to the local governments.

    “This is a system which was practised long ago, but later following a verification committee’s recommendations, the junior officers salary was moved to the ministry.

    “So, the state government’s decision followed the calls by the people to give more powers to the LGs, to make them more active and ensure the staffers diligent in their duties.

    “Moreover, there are many senior and junior officers who are supporting different political parties and the government has not stopped their salaries as alleged by APC,” he said.

    Hausawa restated the state government’s commitment to continue to protect the rights of all citizens in the state, irrespective of their political or religious leanings.

  • We’re owing workers 2 not 6 months salary – Plateau HoS

    We’re owing workers 2 not 6 months salary – Plateau HoS

    The Plateau Government says it is owing its workers two months and not six months salary arrears as being insinuated in some quarters.

    Mr Sunday Hyat, the Head of Civil Service (HoS) in the state cleared the air in a statement on Saturday in Jos.

    Hyat was reacting to an online publication making the rounds that the state goverment was owing its civil servants six months salary arrears.

    ”My attention has been drawn to an online publication indicating that Plateau government is among the states owing its civil servants up to six months salary.

    ”For the avoidance of doubt, I want to make it categorically clear to the public that the government only owes its workers two months salary,” he said.

    Hyat, however, said that Gov. Simon Lalong of the state who has made welfare of its workers a top priority, was making frantic efforts to clear the outstanding salaries.

    He attributed the inability of goverment to be up-to-date in the payment of salaries to shortfalls from the federal monthly allocation accruing to the state.

    ”We are aware of the commitment that our governor has on the welfare of civil servants that in the last seven years of his administration salaries have been paid as and when due.

    ”The setback being experienced is as a result of revenue shortfall from the federation account of which Plateau is not immune to.

    ”I want to assure all workers that efforts are being made to clear the backlog of these two months salary on or before the month of November this year,” Hyat said.

    The HoS appealed to the workers to be patient, adding that goverment was making serious efforts to address the issue.

    He called on media organisations to ensure they get authentic information on issues before going to press to avoid embarrassment.

  • Reps postpone resumption by 7 days as parliamentary workers seal complex

    Reps postpone resumption by 7 days as parliamentary workers seal complex

    Members of the House of Representatives have shifted their resumption date by seven days as Parliamentary Staff Association of Nigeria (PASAN) and National Assembly Service Commission (NASC) have commenced an indefinite strike.

    TheNewsGuru com, (TNG) reports the members who embarked on a recess to partake in their various political parties conventions had no choice to extend the recess as parliamentary workers seal the Complex on Monday morning.

    The Union is pressing home their demands for the full payment of outstanding 24 months of National Minimum Wage and other Conditions of Service (2018).

    Executive Committee members of PASAN mounted surveillance at the entrance of the National Assembly complex and chanted solidarity songs: ‘Solidarity forever, solidarity forever, solidarity forever for the Union makes us strong.

    As of the time of filing this report, all business activities including banks and offices of the Senators and members of the House of Representatives have been shut down, as staff were prevented from entering the complex.

    It could be recalled that the strike is over the failure of the National Assembly Management to implement the subsisting memorandum of understanding (MoU) jointly signed by NASC, NASS management and PASAN on April 13, 2021, for payment of all arrears for staff.

    According to PASAN, highlight of the items in the MoU include but not limited to 24 months arrears of Minimum Wage/Consequential Adjustment out of which Management paid only 16 months, leaving a balance of 8 months 13 days.

    “Full implementation of the Conditions of Service as entered to in the MoU signed in April 2021. To which implementation had started but stopped”.

    Recall that the scheduled resumption of the House of Representatives on June 7, has been extended by 7 days.

  • Salary: Oyo judiciary workers stay away from work

    Salary: Oyo judiciary workers stay away from work

    Judiciary workers in Oyo State, on Wednesday, called on the state government to ensure prompt payment of their salaries to ensure efficiency.

    The workers told NAN in Ibadan that some of them stayed off their offices because of the recurrent delay in salary payment.

    The entrance gate to court premises and some offices were open for commencement of work after the Eid-el Fitr and May Day holidays.

    However, some workers stayed away from their various duty posts, while others, who were present, sent their colleagues home to ensure that none of them was around.

    Chairman of Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria (JUSUN) in the state, Mr Kayode Matins, confirmed the delay in payment of salary of his members.

    Matins said that although the union was not on strike, many of the workers could not transport themselves to and fro work because of lack of money.

    “We agreed that those who can afford to come to office should do so, as we are all managing the situation,’’ he said.

    The chairman added that the union was making efforts to seek stakeholders’ help on what the workers could do to ensure prompt payment of salary.

    One of the workers, who spoke on condition of anonymity, decried the delay in salary payment, adding that they needed to draw the attention of the public to the development.

    “The reason judiciary staffers are saying off work is because of delay in payment of their salaries, which has been on for a while.

    “The workers no longer have money to transport themselves to and from work, and this has been affecting our productivity.

    “While staffers of other parastatals have collected their April salaries, those in the judiciary have yet to collect theirs.

    “The delay in salary has been on since December 2021. We received March salary on April 17,’’ the staff member said.

    The worker further said that the action was to draw government’s attention to the irregular payment of their salaries.

    “If we receive our salaries today, we will resume work immediately. We have been appealing to the state government for long but nobody is telling us the reason for the delay,’’ the staff member said.

  • LAWMA warns public to stop attacking its workers

    LAWMA warns public to stop attacking its workers

    Lagos Waste Management Authority (LAWMA) has warned members of the public to stop attacking its workers.

    The Authority said in a statement that one of its officials was seriously injured with a hammer and left with a broken skull at Isolo.

    The statement said the suspect was bent on disrupting the Authority’s efforts to establish a cleaner and healthier environment in the state.

    The Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of LAWMA, Mr. Ibrahim Odumboni, said: “One of our highway workers (a sweeper) carrying out his lawful duty at Isolo, was attacked with a hammer by a miscreant by name Alao Idris, resulting in a broken skull, which required immediate medical attention to salvage the situation,” he said.

    The incident happened in the early hours of yesterday.

    Idris has been arrested and handed over to the police.

  • Sacked Edo Sports Council workers prevent Falconets from training

    Sacked Edo Sports Council workers prevent Falconets from training

    Sacked workers of the now-defunct Edo Sports Council on Friday prevented the national under-20 female football team from training at the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium in Benin city.

    Falconets will take on their Senegalese counterparts in an U-20 Women World Cup qualifiers on Saturday.

    Christopher Danjuma, coach of the Nigerian team, told NAN on Thursday that the team would have their training at the Stadium this morning (Friday)

    The aggrieved workers, who barricaded roads leading to the Stadium as well as the Stadium gate, were protesting their sack by the Edo state government on Wednesday.

    The disengaged workers had laid siege at the Stadium since Wednesday when the news of their sack was officially announced to them.

    The Falconets, who arrived in Benin City on Wednesday, had their first training at Best Western Secondary School in Benin City on Thursday.

    A source who pleaded anonymity said that officials of the state government and representatives of the Sacked workers were in a meeting to address the matter.

    Meanwhile, the Senegalese under-20 female football team arrived at Benin Airport Friday morning for the second leg match of the qualifiers.

    The team who lost to the Falconets 3-1 in Senegal, landed at the airport, at 8 a.m. via an Air Peace flight en route Abuja.

    The Senegalese contingent was received at the airport by the Permanent Secretary, Edo Sports Commission, Sabina Chikere.

  • 2022: Fayemi tasks workers on productivity, service delivery

    2022: Fayemi tasks workers on productivity, service delivery

    Ekiti state governor, Gov. Kayode Fayemi on Wednesday charged workers in the state to improve productivity and service delivery through the discharge of their responsibilities, especially, in the New Year.

    Fayemi gave the charge during his tour of various offices at the state Secretariat Complex, ministries, departments and agencies in Ado-Ekiti.

    The governor, who identified the workers as drivers of government policies and programmes, urged them to work in tandem with his administration’s vision and goals for the development of the state.

    Fayemi who visited the offices, accompanied by the Head of Service, Mrs Peju Babafemi and other top civil servants, said that the workers deserved to be appreciated and motivated, considering the roles
    they usually play in the delivery of government’s policies.

    He added that the visit was to ascertain the state of the offices and the preparedness of the workers for the tasks ahead.

    According to him, the visit is to assess the state of the workers and their working environments at the beginning of the new year and come up with solutions that they will need to improve on their performances.

    The governor said that his administration would continue to prioritise the welfare and good working environment for the workforce and urged them to be more dedicated in their duties in the interest of the state.

    He also reaffirmed the government’s decision to reposition the state civil service for better performance.

    The governor emphasised the need for the workers to comply with all the COVID-19 protocols to prevent the spread of the virus.

    Fayemi said that the government had earlier met and received the demands of the workers from the labour leaders in the state and promised that the requests would be looked into.

    He said that his administration had procured furniture and other office equipment that would be used by the workers to enhance effective and efficient service delivery.

  • Over 100 workers trapped as storm hits amazon warehouse in U.S.

    Over 100 workers trapped as storm hits amazon warehouse in U.S.

    A storm tore through a massive Amazon warehouse in the US state of Illinois on Friday, officials said, with local media reporting around 100 workers trapped inside.

    Officials were working through the early hours of Saturday to rescue employees at the facility — a third of which was reduced to rubble — who were on the night shift processing orders ahead of the Christmas holidays.

    The Collinsville Emergency Management Agency described it as a “mass casualty incident” with “multiple subjects trapped at Amazon Warehouse”.

    A tornado warning had been in effect in the area at the time of the incident.

    Footage shared across US news channels and social media of the Edwardsville Amazon warehouse showed a large part of the facility’s roof ripped off while one of the walls had collapsed into the building, with rubble strewn across the site.

    It was not immediately clear if anyone was hurt or killed.

    Illinois Governor JB Pritzer said: “My prayers are with the people of Edwardsville tonight.”

    “Our Illinois State Police and Illinois Emergency Management Agency are both coordinating closely with local officials and I will continue to monitor the situation,” he added.

    In a statement sent to local media, Amazon spokesperson Richard Rocha said “the safety and well-being of our employees and partners is our top priority right now. We’re assessing the situation and will share additional information when it’s available.”

    Severe weather wreaked havoc in multiple southeastern and south-central US states Friday.

    In Arkansas, one person was killed and 20 others were trapped after a tornado struck the Monette Manor nursing home, US media reported.

    Craighead county official Marvin Day told local news channels that rescuers had successfully pulled out those trapped in the building while the structure was “pretty much destroyed”.

    In Tennessee, at least two people were killed in storm-related incidents, an emergency management official told local media.

  • JUST IN: Buhari fires Abuja DisCo management over electricity workers’ strike

    JUST IN: Buhari fires Abuja DisCo management over electricity workers’ strike

    President Muhammadu Buhari on Tuesday approved the sack of the management of the Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC).

    Ofem Uket, spokesman of Goddy Agba, Minister of State for Power, announced this in a statement on Tuesday.

    According to the statement, the president also approved a new interim governing board to oversee the day-to-day operations of the company.

    This action follows the industrial action by the Nigerian Union of Electricity Employees (NUEE) workers to protest unpaid allowances, salaries and unremitted pension deductions.

    The strike has left many areas serviced by AEDC in dark, which include the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Kogi, Nasarawa and Niger states.

    The immediate sacking of the AEDC board was conveyed to the management in a statement issued on Tuesday by the media aide to Agba, Ofem Uket.

    “The presidential directives as conveyed also directed the Bureau of Public Enterprises to set up a new management team of the AEDC,” the statement said.

    “In a memorandum of understanding MOU, jointly signed by the minister of state power Goddy Jedy Agba, the chairman Nigeria Electricity Regulatory Commission NERC, Sanusi Garba, director-general, Bureau of Public Enterprises, Alex Okoli, comrade Joe Ajaero on behalf of the union, the federal government ordered the suspension of the strike (and asked to be given) 21 days within which the outstanding emoluments and entitlements of staff will be paid,” the statement added.