NLC,Cross Rivers embarks on strike

       

The NLC,Cross Rivers state is to embark on a strike from 30th May, 2017.This was stated by the Chairman, NLC, Cross Rivers state, John Ushie. In a bulletin titled: Commencement of Indefinite Strike Action, it reads: “This is to inform you that at an enlarged Congress of Cross River State, civil/public servants workers unanimously voted to proceed on an indefinite strike over the following issues, with effect from Tuesday, May 30.

“We are, therefore, calling on all workers, under the employ of the Cross River State government, to stay at home from May 30 until you hear from us.”

According to a bulletin signed by the Organised Labour Action Committee, the issues include the suspension of promotion to deserving civil servants up to 2016, the disengagement of payroll consultants, illegal deduction of workers’ salaries, full payment of gratuity to retirees from Paris Club refunds, release of monthly impress to Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), resolution of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) impasse in the state and payment of newly appointed permanent secretaries’ salaries.
       

We are opposed to any military coup- NLC

On the occasion of the Democracy day, the NLC President, Mr Ayuba Wabba,
condemned the recent coup rumour in the country. speaking in no uncertain terms, he said,“The NLC wishes to state in the strongest possible tone that it is categorically opposed to any further military adventurism in the body politics of our nation. “The damage military rule caused our nation is not only in the realm of our political culture, it deepened and virtually institutionalised corruption in all segments of our national life.

“We call on Chief of Army Staff to go beyond just informing Nigerians and cautioning those trying to derail our democracy to desist from it.” ‘’Rather, the armed forces should at the appropriate time after concluding its investigation,identify the individuals involved, prosecute them in the relevant courts, and if found guilty given the appropriate punishments as deterrent to potentially ambitious adventurers.”

Announce minimum wage committee-NLC

NLC President, Mr Ayuba Wabba has called on Federal Government to use the occasion of the Democracy Day celebration  to announce the composition of a tripartite negotiation committee on the National Minimum Wage.

In a statement yesterday, he made the call ahead of the Democracy Day celebration. He said that the increase to 18,000 NGN six years ago, was long, and the inflation in the country is testing the workers.
He said “We, therefore, urge the Federal Government to use the occasion of the Democracy Day to announce the composition of the tripartite negotiation committee as this is imperative for the government to review the National Minimum Wage.”

We shall mediate in Exxon labour Union dispute- Federal Government

The Federal Government, through its Labour Minister, Dr Chris Ngige, has said it wants to resolve the labour dispute between Exxon Mobil Corp and unions in the Niger Delta.
The Unions have been protesting the sacking of workers at Exxon and other firms in the oil sector, that has made them stage some strikes.

After a cabinet meeting, the Minister said, " We have reached out to the management to internally resolve the matter through reconciliation"
" If that fails, government will fully take over, because my counterpart in the petroleum Mister has tried and failed."

"I have referred the matter to the
industrial arbitration panel for reconciliation. If this fails we will take another action," Ngige said, without elaborating.

He said he had convened a meeting at which only Exxon's representatives and not those of the PENGASSAN labour union had attended.

More Unions To Join NLC Strike in Nasarawa

         
The ongoing strike by NLC in Nasarawa state, is taking another turn. The State Chapter of the NLC, has said that three more labour unions would be joining the ongoing strike by civil servants in the state.

The state NLC spokesman said that the Nigeria Union of Teachers, the Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees, Judicial Staff Union of Nigeria and others currently not part of the strike would join this Thursday.

The NLC spokesman,  Yusuf Sarki-Iya, said,“The embattled NLC Chairman Abdullahi Adeka who is the Chairman of Medical and Health Workers Union is also directed to declare strike as a condition to be reinstated as the NLC Chairman.

“So if Adeka does
the needful by joining the strike the state executive council will meet and take a decision regarding his reinstatement as directed by the headquarters of our union,” he said.
The NLC spokesman expressed gratitude to workers for total compliance with the strike directive and advised them to shun rumours and rely only on the union for updates on the strike.

NLC Nasarawa,Reinstates Comrade Adeka Chairman.Supports Strike Action

 The Nasarawa State chapter of the NLC, has been  reinstated. It would be recalled he was suspended for opposing the current strike action in the state.
 The News Agency of Nigeria reports that Adeka was  accepted to chair a meeting of the State Executive Council of NLC, held on Thursday in Lafia. But, that was after he declared full support for the strike action

“As you can see, all the factions have accepted to come together as one under my leadership; we are now a united front ready to fight for the workers,” he told NAN.
He said that the “minor disagreement” was resolved following the intervention of the national headquarters of the union.

“Now that we are one, the ongoing strike action will be sustained until the state government meets all our demands
“All other affiliates of NLC and Trade Union Congress that were not part of the strike, are hereby directed to join immediately,” he declared

He listed groups expected to join the strike to include the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE) and the Judicial Staff Union of Nigeria (JUSUN).

Others are Medical and Health Workers Union of Nigeria (MHWUN), Tertiary Institutions, Nigeria Medical Association (NMA), among others

He vowed that the workers would not compromise the struggle until victory was attained.

Mr Bala Umaru, Adeka’s Deputy, who acted as chairman while he was away, declared his loyalty to Adeka’s leadership, and promised to support him toward improved working conditions for Nasarawa State workers.

NULGE Protest Continues

         

The continued protests by workers under the Delta State chapter of Nigerian Union of Local Government Employees, NULGE continued yesterday. The workers marched through the streets of Warri, Delta State. The workers vowed to ground government activities of government  if government fails to settle the twelve months of unpaid salaries.

“We are protesting from council to council to draw public and relevant authorities’ attention to the untold hardship our members are passing through over mounting salaries arrears. “We want our money. We say no, to continued excuses. If after taking the protest through all 25 LGAs, the state government still refuses to act accordingly, we will have no choice than to ground activities of government in Delta State.” said the state treasurer, Ogberetine Obatare.

Teachers Will Earn Higher-FG

   

This was said by the representative of the Minister of State for Education,Prof. Anthony Anwukah, who represented the Minister for Education at the inauguration of Governing Councils of 21 Federal Colleges of Education. That increase in the salaries of teachers would help to attract the best to the teaching profession.

He asked that teachers in Nigeria across all levels must register with the Teachers’ Registration Council of Nigeria (TRCN) before the end of this year or risk being sent out of classrooms.He also said that,  the teaching profession had ceased to be “all-comers affair.”

Adamu, also lamented the dearth of quality teachers Nigeria, saying it was unfortunate that the noble call had not been able to attract the best and the brightest because of inadequacies in the system.

He insisted that the current administration was ready to get it right with the cooperation of all stakeholders.

He added that colleges of education have remained critical institutions‎ because they do not only produce teachers on which everything else is dependent, they also produce teachers at the basic level of education.

We shall resist any coup-Trade Union Congress

   

The Trade Union Congress as joined its voice to the growing voices against any coup attempt, following newspaper reports.
 In a statement signed by the National President, Comrade Bobboi Bala Kaigama and Secretary General, Comrade (Barr.) Musa-Lawal Ozigi, the union said all Nigerians, irrespective of political affiliations must rise up and kick against any form of military intervention, adding that the recent rumor should be considered as an aberration.

“It will be recalled that our military, indeed all Nigerians have condemned coups in Africa and even outside the continent, a feat that was commended at the level of the international community. To hear that the military is nursing such a misadventure, even if by rumours only must be seen as ignoble.

“One beauty of democracy is that there is freedom of speech, at least it has allowed us to challenge our thieving politicians at all levels. This is not the case with the military which does not possess any iota of democratic blood, with their exhibition of autocracy and brute force.

“We wish to sound it that workers and the masses of Nigerians laboured and sacrificed greatly to enthrone democracy that has now been hijacked by a negligible few that have now become the lawmakers, the governors and so-called political leaders to the detriment of the working class and citizens of the country.

“Let it be known that the people have voted for democracy and will strive to protect it.  What should be paramount to all progressive Nigerians now is how to move the country forward and not to distabilise it. We know who caused the problem of the country.

“Truly, Nigerians are abreast of the fact that we have a serious challenge with the present democracy and the crop of leaders that we have at various levels of government. It is a challenge all of us must strive to correct, certainly not by coup.

“The military, mainstream politicians and privileged Nigerians should be careful not to throw the country into another political pandemonium and disappear into thin air leaving the masses to suffer.  Let the rumour be what it is, a rumour. Nigerians are no longer ready for any hoodwinking. We have come of age,” TUC stated.

Nigerian Union of Teachers, Bayelsa State, Calls Off Strike

Following the release of N300million by the state Governor, Mr. Seriake Dickson, to augment payment of primary school teachers’ salaries in local government areas of the state, NUT, Bayelsa state has called of it strike action.

NUT Chairman in the state, Kalaama John Tonpre and Secretary, Johnson Hector, the Union thanked the state government for the gesture, saying it would go a long way to alleviate their plight.

Others who endorsed the statement are the Chairmen of five local councils including the Vice-Chairman of the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON) in the state, Kuroghofa Walter Benwari and its Secretary, Ebiango Egain.

The decision to stop the strike, the union said, was reached after exhaustive deliberations between the various local councils and executive committee of the NUT in Yenagoa.

We Need More Teachers-NUT, Ondo.

         

Ondo state government has been asked by the Nigerian Union Of Teachers, to recruit more teachers to fill vacant positions in Primary and secondary schools.

Solomon Igbelowowa, who is the state acting secretary of NUT, made this known on Monday.
He said,
“Dearth of teachers is the greatest challenge facing educational system in the state, especially in public primary schools.

“For the past 12 years, no single teacher was recruited to teach in our public primary schools.

“We have a public primary school in Ondo State where there is only one teacher to 300 pupils at time.

“How do you expect a teacher to cope with such situation?

“With this, we are killing education and mortgaging the future of our pupils.

“So, there is urgent need for government to recruit more teachers in the state now,”

Suspended SSANU Members Recalled in Plateau University

Plateau State University, Bokkos has recalled Messrs Timnan Rimdap and Dusu Sambo, Chairman and Secretary of the varsity’s chapter of the Senior Staff Association of Nigeria Universities (SSANU), suspended in January.

The recall letter, signed by the institution’s Registrar, Amos Mallo, said that the Governing Council, after considering the Vice Chancellor’s report on the matter, directed that the duo be recalled.

It directed the officials to resume duty immediately, and await further directives. Reports The Nation

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that the officials were suspended in a letter dated Jan. 27, 2017 and signed by the institution’s Registrar, Amos Mallo.
Their suspension was for three months during which they received only half of their salaries.

The letter barred the duo – Timnan, Head of the ICT unit, and Sambo, of the Academic Planning unit – from being sighted around the school throughout the period of the suspension.

Management had attributed the suspension to “insubordination and lack of respect to constituted authority”, but sources from the Registry traced the development to the duo’s request for deduction of check-off dues of SSANU members.

Management had insisted that it would listen to such request after registering the union, a suggestion SSANU rejected after pointing out that it had been registered at the national level and was merely establishing a local chapter at the young university.

The school also requested members to write individual mandates allowing the school to deduct the dues, a move SSANU also objected, after declaring that the membership register was enough to warrant the deductions.

Nassarawa Government Approves 2 Month Salary

   

The end may have come to the lingering faceoff between the Nasarawa state government and the organized labour following Governor Umaru Tanko Al-Makura’s approval for the payment of two months outstanding salary shortfall for the months of August and November. Reports Today.ng
Governor Al-Makura gave the approval on Thursday when he received the leadership of the state chapter of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) in his office with a view to finding lasting solution to the recurrent strike by workers in the state.
Commenting on the strike action which was called on by a renegade section of the union, he assured that as far as he was concerned there was no strike ongoing in the state as government remains unhindered in its operations.

He also assured that government will take seriously and evolve better ways of addressing the remaining four demands by labour bordering on welfare and improved condition of service. All the four demands tabled before him would be considered as he directed the state head of service to to with immediate effect begin the processes of conducting promotion exams to the worker for their promotion.

The governor also directed that the head of service and other authorities responsible for payment of workers’ salaries swing into action and fast track the payment of the two months owed workers with immediate effect and ensure full payment before the end of this month.
He explained that pending issues of local government emoluments, he said plans are underway to review their salaries, which according to him will be implemented as soon as funds anticipated from Paris club refund is made available to the state.

Meanwhile the NLC chairman, Comrade Abdullahi Adeka, has asked workers in the state to resume work at their duty posts so as to reciprocate government’s magnanimous gesture.

ASSON Strike Grounds Academic Activities

Parents Teachers Associations of Federal Government College, Ilorin, and Federal Government Girls College, Omu-Aran, have said that the  strike embarked upon by the Association of Senior Staff of Nigeria in the 42 federal government colleges in Nigeria has grounded academic activities in the affected schools in the country.Reports The Punch

They  appealed to the Federal Government to urgently resolve the trade dispute in the interest of educational and overall national development.



The joint statement which was made available to journalists in Ilorin, the Kwara State capital on Wednesday was  signed by PTA Chairman, FGC, Ilorin , Alhaj
i Saka Agarawau; his FGGC counterpart, Mr. J .A  Fabiyi; the  PTA Public Relations Officer, FGC, Ilorin, Lawal Olusola and that of FGC, Omu-Aran,  Mr. Afolayan S. O.

It said, ‘‘We are appealing to the Federal Ministry of Education to please look into the ongoing strike of ASSON to ensure that the strike is called off because our children are suffering and the strike is having untold hardship on parents.

‘‘For some weeks now, our children have not been taught in school because of the ongoing strike, teachers who are willing to teach are being prevented from doing so because of the strike. This is particularly happening in two schools in Kwara State and 42 schools nationwide.

‘‘We are also calling on the striking workers to adopt dialogue in pressing home their demands in the interest of the children.

We Shall Picket Private Schools-NUT

     

The National President, Nigerian Union of Teachers, Comrade Michael Alogba-Olukoya, has said that beginning from September this year, the union will start picketing private primary and secondary schools across the country to ensure that only qualified teachers are in their employ.Reports The Punch

He said this on Wednesday in Abeokuta during a briefing held at the NUT Secretariat.

While he also said the NUT would monitor state governments to make sure they engage only duly qualified teachers, he warned teachers in the state to ensure that they register with the Teachers Registration Council of Nigeria.
He said, “By September this year, the union will embark on picketing of private schools on the need to employ only professional teachers.  The union will also issue a marching order to state governments to ensure only duly registered teachers are engaged by them. TRCN is the only statutory body recognised by the law to register professional teachers in Nigeria.”

He also advised the teachers to disregard calls allegedly made by some individuals parading themselves as union leaders that registration with TRCN was not compulsory.

Alogba-Olukoya urged the teachers to use the opportunity offered by the TRCN to get registered.

He, however, debunked the claim that the cost of registration was N7,000 per teacher, saying, “teachers with degrees would only pay N3,000 while their NCE counterparts would  pay the sum of N2,000.”

He appealed to principals and head teachers in public primary and secondary schools to sensitise their teachers on the need to register with the TRCN before the close of the exercise.

NLC, Nassarawa Continues Strike Action

Members of the organised labour in Nasarawa State said  they would go on with their strike until the state government paid them their three months salaries and meet all their demands.

The State Chairmen of Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Bala Umaru and Trade Union Congress (TUC), Danladi Sabo-Namo stated this on Monday while addressing workers at the Labour House in Lafia.
Umaru said the leadership of NLC was not deterred by the state government threat to sack all striking workers in the state.
“Our outstanding salaries of August 2016, percentage of November 2016, February and March 2017 must be paid before we suspend the strike. Reports Today.ng

“For the past six years, all civil servants in the state were stagnated, no promotion, no annual increment and pensioners were not paid their full entitlements as at when due among others,’’ he said.
He said that rather than being considerate in addressing the demands of workers, the state government threatened to sack all workers and recruit 6,000 fresh people.



“If the government has money to recruit fresh workers, why won’t it use the money to pay workers their entitlements.’’
He said that the doors of the union were still open for negotiation. Sabo-Namo, in his contribution, the workers were demanding for their entitlements and nothing else.
“We have been considerate and patient with the state government since its inception in 2011. This time, if our demands are met, we don’t mind to extend the strike until Gov. Umar Al-Makura leaves office in 2019,” he said.

He urged workers to shun rumour from any quarters to the effect that the strike had been suspended, adding that they should await further directive from the union leadership.
When the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) correspondent visited government ministries, departments and parastatals, on Monday, all offices were seen under lock and key.

The workers commenced the strike midnight of Thursday after the deadline they gave the state government to meet their demands elapsed

Labour Pickets Galba Nigeria Plc

The Nigerian Labour Congress, NLC, Trade Union Congress, TUC, United Action for Democracy and staffs of Automobile, Boatyards, Transport Equipment and Allied Senior Staff Association, AUTOBATE, have picketed Galba Nigerian Plc. over 19 months unpaid salaries of the workers. Reports Today.ng

The labour unions which barricaded the entrance to the company with different placards that read, ‘Stop the violation of condition of service,’ ‘It is a crime to owe workers’ ‘No pay, no more work’ said the picketing is to attract the attention of the world to the plight of workers of Galba.

Speaking, the branch chairman of AUTOBATE in Galba, Comrade Innocent Udongfo, accused the management of the company of negligence and urged them to meet the demands of the worker.
Udongfo said: “We can no longer pay our rents and our children are out of school. We are calling on the management to pay our salaries from 2015 till today. And to remit all our union dues from 2010 till date. They should implement our total emolument of the condition of service duly signed in the employment manual.

“Several negotiations with Galba management could not work because they always want to play over our intelligence. They don’t even listen to us. Anytime we have opportunity to meet with the management they will walk us out.”
The General Secretary of AUTOBATE, Mr. Sola Olorunfemi, explained the union had made several attempt to resolve the issue but regretted that Galba had avoided the invitations.



Olorunfemi said, “We came all the way from Lagos after all efforts engage the Galba management in meaningful discussion proved abortive. They owe the workers since 2015 November. We have made the TUC in River State to dialogue with the company over this matter. But the management has been playing pranks for over 18 months now in order not to get this salaries paid.
“We have recorded about five persons dead over the level of suffering inflicted on the workers by the company. We will hold this company hostage, there will be no practical operation in this premises until our demand are met.

Meanwhile, the TUC State Administrative Officer, Comrade Eric Akaninwo, urged the management of the firm to be responsibly and be committed to the welfare of Nigerian workers.
Akaninwo, who for other labour organsations in the picketing said, “We have invited the Galba management for a meeting, unfortunately, the only person we saw there was the Personnel manager, we asked him questions about why they don’t want to pay their worker.
After our investigations we understood they don’t want to pay the workers.
“What they do is any money that comes in they share it among themselves, so many of them have opened their own companies with the money. If there is no money coming out of this place as management staff they would have all resigned.”
However, calls made to the Managing Director of Galba Nigerian Plc, Mr. Mike Appia, to get the company’s reaction were neither picked nor returned, but Administrative Officer of the firm, Mr. Dan Adi, said has nothing to say on the claims of the staff members.

Maritime Workers Union To Down Tools

The Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria, MWUN, yesterday,  gave the Federal Government a 21-day ultimatum to rehabilitate and make the Oshodi-Apapa Dual Carriage Way and the access roads leading to the nation’s sea ports motor-able. Also, Customs clearing agents and Amalgamation of Trucking Associations will from today shut down process of clearance of goods from the Lagos ports and evacuation of cargoes by withdrawing their services over port access roads that are not motor-able and other difficulties faced at the ports. MWUN ultimatum The President of MWUN, Prince Adewale Adeyanju, gave the ultimatum while responding to questions from newsmen in Lagos.

He said that it was sad that the access roads to the ports were in a deplorable condition. Adeyanju said that the union was worried that the access roads to the nation’s seaports and the Oshodi-Apapa Dual Carriage Way that leads to Apapa and Tin-Can Ports had been abandoned. He said: “It is sad that the gateway to the nation’s economy is abandoned. We have written several letters including issuance of ultimatums over these roads to no avail. “’We can no longer live with the abandonment of access roads to the ports which have been in the state of disrepair for years in spite of efforts to draw government’s attention to the need to fix them.


The union president said that for a long time, the Oshodi-Apapa Dual Carriage Way as well as other port access roads had become death traps to road users. He said that the roads had been recording fatal accidents on a daily basis, and in December 2016, the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) said that the contract for rehabilitation of the Dual Carriage Way had been awarded. “We are in May 2017, nothing has been done. The sad thing is that there is no sign that any contract had been awarded,” Adeyanju said. He further said that last week, NPA wrote again to the union that contracts had been awarded for the rehabilitation of the roads. “If after three months to six months, the rehabilitation project does not start, we shall be compelled to take necessary action without further notice,” the union leader said. He appealed to the government to repair the roads to save lives of innocent Nigerians that get trapped on the road or are attacked, robbed, harassed, intimidated and abused by hoodlums.

He said that hoodlums had been taking advantage of the deplorable roads to perpetuate all sorts of crimes.

Agents, truckers shut down Lagos ports To ensure effective shut-down of the ports today, the Association of Nigeria Licensed Customs Agents, ANLCA, are joining forces with  the truckers.
National President of ANLCA, Prince Olayewola Shittu, said
that the action will continue until the port access roads are fixed.
Shittu said several pleas to government to fix the roads in the past have fallen on deaf ears. He noted that there would be no going back until government takes action. According to him, “We are going ahead with the strike. We will withdraw our services, we will not work. Although some of our people are meeting with government officials now but I know that we cannot just turn round like that, no way.”

NLC Nassarawa, Factions and Strike

Last week Friday, NLC Nassarawa was in the news. First was the information that they were proceeding on the planned strke action, then another news that the strike action has been shelved. Then the information that the State Chairman, NLC, has been suspended and strike commenced.

All over salary demands that was made of the government.The workers had earlier given the state government up till May 11 to meet their demands or face an industrial action.

With conflicting information on Friday,the NLC Nassarawa state is not having the best of times.While workers have embarked on the strike, the suspended chairman still insists he is the chairman.

The factions are, the Umar Bala faction and the   Abdullahi Adeka faction, who is quoted saying " “I want to assure the workers of Nasarawa State that they should remain dogged, they should remain loyal to the presiding officer led by Abdullahi Adeka. I still remain the chairman of NLC in Nasarawa State and I am not shaken by any group of persons that can just sit down and think that they can plan a palace coup that will not yield any fruitful result.”

Leveraging on the split in the union,the Head of Service has issued a press statement instructing workers to go about their normal duties and ignore any directive from the Umar Bala-led faction.
“It is hereby reiterated that any civil servants that do not adhere to this directive and fails to report to duty will be held personally liable for his/her action,” he added.
“Permanent secretaries and chief executives of commissions, boards and parastatals are therefore to ensure compliance by opening and maintaining attendance register for their staff and submit same at the close of work on a daily basis to the permanent secretary, civil service secretariat, office of the head of civil service as any absenteeism will be treated as abscondment.”

The performance of the strike shall be monitored to observe the level
compliance

Nassarwa NLC Splits

The Nasarawa State chapter of the Nigeria Labour Congress has split into two factions over a planned industrial action in the state.
Organised labour in the state had on May Day given the state government a one-week ultimatum to meet the demands of workers or they would go on strike.
However, during a state executive council meeting, the members of the NLC chapter in the state impeached the chairman, Adeka Abdullahi and replaced him with, Umar Bala, who was vice chairman.
Abdullahi was impeached for allegedly ordering the suspension of the strike on the basis that negotiations are ongoing with the government.
This did not go down well with members who felt the government did not take their ultimatum seriously.
Bala said Abdullahi was impeached because of members had lost confidence in him. He said, “Since we came on board, honestly, we have not achieved anything as a labour in Nasarawa State. We keep on signing agreements with the government and they keep on failing.
“The former chairman was removed because we do not have confidence in him and he has been wining and dining with the government. That is why we cannot have respect before the government.”
He added, “We urge the government to act fast to our demands or else we will be left with no option to see what we can do; the struggle has just begun. Workers in Nasarawa State have suffered a lot, they have a setback ”



However, Adeka rejected his impeachment and ordered a suspension of the strike, saying negotiations are ongoing.
He said, “I want to assure the workers of Nasarawa State that they should remain dogged, they should remain loyal to the presiding officer led by Abdullahi Adeka. I still remain the chairman of NLC in Nasarawa State and I am not shaken by any group of persons that can just sit down and think that they can plan a palace coup that will not yield any fruitful result.”
Workers in Nasarawa State are, however, still on strike with offices under lock and key except for health workers who refused to join the strike.
Meanwhile, the Head of Service has issued a press statement instructing workers to go about their normal duties and ignore any directive from the Umar Bala-led faction.
“It is hereby reiterated that any civil servants that do not adhere to this directive and fails to report to duty will be held personally liable for his/her action,” he added.
“Permanent secretaries and chief executives of commissions, boards and parastatals are therefore to ensure compliance by opening and maintaining attendance register for their staff and submit same at the close of work on a daily basis to the permanent secretary, civil service secretariat, office of the head of civil service as any absenteeism will be treated as abscondment.”

NLC, Nassarawa embarks on Strike

Members of the Nigerian Labour Congress, NLC, in Nasarawa state have commenced an indefinite strike on Friday following the state government’s inability to meet their demands.
The workers had earlier given the state government up till May 11 to meet their demands or face an industrial action.
Mohammed Naibi, the state Secretary of Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), said the strike became imperative after the expiration of the ultimatum given to the state government.
Naibi, who expressed delight with the level of compliance with the strike, also said: “ In the past six years, all the civil servants in the state had stagnated with no promotion and annual increment.
“Pensioners were also not paid their full entitlements as and when due; these are some of our grievances.”
Reports
Today.ng


Naibi , however, warned the workers to shun rumours and await directives from the union as it was ready to dialogue with government on the strike.
When newsmen visited some ministries and schools in Lafia, they were all deserted as offices remained under lock and key.
Officials of organised labour in the state were sighted going round all MDAs to enforce the union’s directive.
Meanwhile, the state government has threatened to sanction workers who fail to report to their duty posts.
Thomas Ogiri, the state’s Head of Service, called on workers to disregard the strike directive, saying the NLC was in disarray.
He directed permanent secretaries and chief executives of commissions, boards and parastatal, and agencies to take attendance of their staff.
Ogiri said that failure to comply with the directive would attract punishment while absenteeism would not be condoned

NLC, Nassarawa,Suspends Chairman

The Nasarawa State chapter of the Nigeria Labour Congress has removed its Chairman, Abdullahi Adeka, over alleged fraternity with the state government against the interest of workers.
Yusuf Iya, the spokesman of the union, told newsmen in Lafia on Thursday that the decision followed a vote of no confidence passed on the chairman by the state executive council of the union in an emergency meeting.
Iya said the council also appointed the Vice Chairman, Bala Umar, as a substantive chairman to complete the tenure of Adeka.
According to him, the council had not achieved any meaningful results regarding the entitlement of workers in the state under the leadership of Adeka, alleging that the state government had bought him over.
Iya said: “Under Adeka, the union has been signing agreements with government yet the deplorable condition of workers in the state have remained the same.”
Meanwhile, organised labour in the state had threatened to down tool if the government failed to meet their demand over salaries and other entitlements.
Bala Umar, newly appointed chairman of the NLC while addressing newsmen said the organised labour had intimated the state government about the change in leadership.
He said the group also intimated government on the need to meet workers demand or face industrial action effective from May 12.
Reports
Today.ng


Umar said: “We are saying that if the state government does not find a way to engage the leadership of organised labour to address workers demand before midnight, we would have no option than to embark on industrial action.”
He enumerated some of the workers’ demands as non-payment of salaries and arrears, annual increment, lack of promotion amongst others.
Similarly, Danladi Namo, the State Chairman of the Trade Union Congress, decried the plight of the workers in the state and said that they could no longer bear the suffering.
Namo said: “We have endured the antics of the present government for so long and this time around if the government fails to act, the strike is inevitable.”
However, Adeka told newsmen that he remained the chairman, saying that the action of his comrades was a nullity.
According to Adeka, he was purportedly removed in his absence without recourse to due process.
Adeka said: “I was chairing the SEC meeting for over an hour when I had to excuse myself to receive the General Secretary of the Nigeria Medical and Health Workers Union who came into the state from Abuja.”
On the proposed strike action, Adeka said it would not hold as the union was still negotiating with the state government to resolve the impasse.

NLC, Nassarawa call of Strike

The Nasarawa State chapter of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has called off its strike action which was scheduled to start Friday.
The suspension was contained in a statement signed by the Chairman of the NLC and the Chairman, Joint Public Service Negotiating Council, Comrade Abdullahi Adeka and Sule Usman Ode respectively.
The statement said: “In the light of several appeals from well-meaning individuals, including traditional rulers and the request of the head of civil service to be allowed to take up the matter with the state government”.
“After careful consideration of the appeal, NLC at its state executive council meeting of Thursday, 11th May, 2017 had heeded to the appeal and hereby suspends the planned strike action forthwith to pave way for dialogue”.
The labour leaders therefore called on workers to continue with their normal official government obligations pending further directive.
They also called on government to “reciprocate magnanimously so as to bring the lingering faceoff in the interest of industrial peace and harmony.”Reports Today.ng



It would be recalled that organized labour in the state had on 4th May issued an ultimatum to commence industrial action if government was unable to fully comply with the tripartite collective bargaining agreement reached in December, 2016.
In a related development, teachers in the state, under the aegis of Concerned Teachers of Secondary Schools, had earlier dissociated themselves from the proposed strike.
The chairman of the group, Comrade Salisu Mustapha, expressed displeasure over the insincerity of the leadership of Academic Staff Union of Secondary Schools (ASUSS) by willfully misleading the members of the union.
It would be recalled that Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees had pulled out of NLC in the state accusing the leadership of NLC in the state of pursuing only the interest of state workers and not those of local government employees.
President of NULGE, Comrade Abdullahi Abubakar said: “I want to state categorically that in Nasarawa state NLC injury to one is no longer injury to all, but injury to any individual is injury
to that individual alone.
“As a sensitive union, NULGE represents the interest of workers at the grassroots and would not condone such double standards, corruption and insensitivity meted out on its members.”

Labour Threatens Strike

The organised labour has threatened a nationwide strike, if the government fails to begin process of reviewing the workers’ minimum wage.

It said workers are hungry and legitimately angry.Reports The Nation.

The National Union of Textile Garment and Tailoring Workers of Nigeria (NUTGTWN), an affiliate member of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), issued the threat in Kaduna yesterday.
The labour union equally called on NLC and TUC to make urgent case for workers’ control of the country’s pension industry, saying pension fund is workers’ capital and should not be a play-ground to reward failed politicians.

According to Aremu, “As demonstrated by workers during the May Day in Abuja, Nigeria risks national industrial crisis, except governments at all levels give due attention to the critical issue of compensation of workers. Hungry workers are legitimately angry workers. Nigerian workers are not only hungry but legitimately angry.

“We commend both the Senate and the House of Representatives for their respective facilitating roles to address the current issue of national minimum wage.  However, the responsibility lies squarely with President Muhammadu Buhari ably being represented by Vice President Osinbajo.”

“National Minimum Wage (Amendment) Act 2011, which offers the current N18,000 was for a five-year cycle due for review in 2015. The five-year time limit was to avoid minimum wage stagnation and attendant seemingly increases that follow. In United Kingdom (UK) minimum wage is reviewed yearly. Today, it is £7.5 per hour, about N37,000 per day!

“Long before the current recession, Nigeria workers have long been in depression. With Naira devaluation and high inflation, 2010 negotiated national minimum wage of N18,000, which was about $120 in 2010, has fallen to below $50 in 2017, worsening income poverty.  Nigeria cannot get out of recession with poorly paid work-force,” the labour leader said.

He, however opined, that “the best way to reflate the economy is through wage increase linked with productivity improvement and prompt payment of the existing salaries by states and local governments.

“President Buhari should, therefore, urgently constitute the tripartite committee on the review of the current national minimum wage within a short time-limit”, he urged.

On the pension matter, the textile union leader said, NUTGTWN as an affiliate of Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and a critical stakeholder in the Contributory Pension Scheme (CPS) was concerned with recent developments in the pension industry.

He added that Nigeria’s pension industry risks avoidable crisis following the recent abrupt termination of the appointment of Mrs. Chinelo Anohu-Amazu, former Director General of PenCom and appointment of Dikko Aliyu Abdulrahman as new director-general by President Muhammadu Buhari subject to confirmation by the Senate.

Do Not Hand Primary Education to LGs to Save Us From Breeding Illiterates- NUT

The Nigeria Union of Teachers, (NUT), has said that it will breed more illiterates than literates, should federal government hands over primary education to Local government council.Reports The Vanguard 

This was made known to newsmen by the president of the association,Micheal Olukoya, during a recent workshop in Abuja. Olukoya made the assertion while reminiscing lost members killed by Boko Haram in North East area and laments the backlog of salary owed teachers in over 28 states.

According to him, “Education should be seen as a right enshrined in our constitution. We are not against local government autonomy, but if FG says primary education should go to the local governments, it will lead to slavery. We will be breeding more illiterates than literates. “We appeal to the federal government not to contemplate handing over primary education to local government councils under the guise of local government autonomy. “If we attempt to put primary education under the purview of local government administration, we shall be going back to the analogue age. We will not allow that to happen. “The economic recession has worsened the situation of teachers with many teachers being owed by state governments. As I speak, about 28 states owe our teachers. The commercialisation and privatisation of education in Nigeria should be condemned. The policy has left education in the hands of private proprietors of schools who charge outrageous school fees in the bid to make profit,” Olukoya said.

Respect Workers Rights, NLC Tells Chinese Companies

President of the Nigeria Labour Congress Comrade Ayuba Wabba has asked Chinese Journalists to prevail on Chinese companies operating in the country to respect the right and dignity of the Nigerian worker.

Speaking when he received a delegation of the All China Journalists Association at the NLC headquarters in Abuja, Wabba said while organised labour in the country were not unmindful of the development assistance being extended to Nigeria by the Chinese government, the issue of abuse of workers rights will not be condone by the workers. Reports The Nation.

Wabba commended the Chinese government for its developmental assistance to many African countries, pointing that such assistance to the Nigerian government will go a long way in assisting infrastructural development in the country.

He ask them to extend their business interest in the country to the development of the Ajaokuta Steel Company, pointing out that when fully development. The company will be in a position to provide the steel needed to develop the railway sector in the country.

The visiting Chinese Journalists were led to the NLC secretariat by the President of the Nigeria Union of Journalists, Abdulwhaeed Odusile who described the NLC as the engine room of Labour in the country.

Odusile said as a member of the NLC, Nigerian Journalists were in full support of the agitation by the congress to better the lot of Nigerian workers, including protecting them from any form of abuse by employers.

He told the delegation that the union planned to secure a television license from the government to enable it establish a television station of its own in other “to tell our own story our own way”.

The NUJ President said it was unfortunate that all stories about developing  countries emanating from the western media have always been negative, pointing out that the union intend to collaborate with their Chinese counterparts in capacity building and “telling the story of developing nation”.

States Owe Teachers Backlog of Salaries-NUT

The Nigerian Union of Teachers on Wednesday said that 28 states are currently owing its teachers backlog of salaries in the country.

National President of the union, Michael Alogba-Olukoya, said this during a two-day workshop on commercialization and privatisation of education, jointly organised by NUT and Educational International (EI) for the National Executive Council (NEC) members of the union in Abuja on Wednesday. Reports thenationonline.net

He accused some states governors of being “insensitivity” to the plight of its teachers by refusing to pay their salaries in hard times.

According to him, the economic recession came to worsen the situation for teachers in Nigeria with many teachers being owed by their state governments.

Alogba-Olukoya also accused some state governors of deliberately sacking 35 teachers for making errors during the world teachers’ day celebration.
“And to add salt to this injury, some of our teachers because we were celebrating world teachers day, they made error, they were dismissed. About 35 of them but thank God today it is now history,” he said.

He said the Nigerian teachers were confronted with many challenges, including the recent Boko Haram insurgency which claimed the lives of many teachers in the North-East.

Olukoya commended teachers and NUT leaders from Borno state for remaining undaunted by not allowing the challenges of Boko Haram insurgencies to cow them.

He condemned the commercialization and privatisation of education in Nigeria, saying the policy has left education in the hands of private proprietors of schools who charge outrageous school fees in the bid to make a profit.

“Enough of producing second class citizens in the name of education. It is another way (commercialization) of producing modern day slavery in our academic sector,” he said.

He directed all teachers in the country to register with the Teachers Registration Council of Nigeria to avoid being kicked out of the classrooms.

“Everybody must register, must upgrade your status. That is the global thing. That is what is happening all over the world. We don’t want any of our members to be a scapegoat. Let us go back to our states and ensure everything works out,” he added.

NUPENG calls for dialogue to resolve Capital Oil impasse

The Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) has called on the Federal Government to embrace the use of dialogue to resolve the lingering impasse between the management of Capital Oil and Department of State Services (DSS), over the illegal sale of petroleum products stored in their tank farm by the NNPC. According to the online news, Today.ng
The union stated that workers have the right to protest the non-payment of their salaries and allowances and that the Federal Government should secure the jobs of those working in the sector.
NUPENG, in a statement signed by its President, Igwe Achese, stressed that although it does not support the illegal diversion and sale of petroleum products, it was of the opinion that the Federal Government cannot sit still and watch workers lose their jobs.



Today.ng also states that,
the Union also made reference to the case of Seawolf Oil Services that was taken over by the Assets Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON) in which it says workers are yet to be paid their backlog of salaries and entitlements for over five years.
“NUPENG believes that the job creation mantra of the government should be allowed to play, rather than paving way for job losses as it is the case of the current closure of Capital Oil.”
“It therefore called on the government to allow the 2,000 workers to resume work at the depot and load products so that their salaries can be paid, “instead of throwing them into the unemployment market for no fault of theirs”.

The Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) on Sunday announced the expulsion 13 of its members in the University of Uyo chapter for allegedly contravening the association’s constitution.


According to The Nation, the National President, Mr Samson Ugwoke, disclosed this to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on the sideline of the 57th quarterly zonal meeting of SSANU western zone held at the Lagos State University (LASU).

Ugwoke said the expulsion took effect from May 2.

According to him, the members were expelled for disrespecting
the association’s constitution and for giving the school authorities of the university false information about SSANU.

According to him, the expelled members gave the university authority false information, which led to the association being denied permission  to hold its election in Uyo.

He said that the erring members had insisted that the electoral committee should use the 2004 or 2011 constitution instead of the amended 2016 document.

“The recalcitrant members felt they are more than the association by refusing to respect the constituted authority of SSANU.

“They refused to obey the supremacy of the constitution and also refused to obey the National Executive Council of the association.

“You cannot be questioning the constitution of an organisation you claim to belong.

“They were part of the national delegate conference where the constitution was passed ratified.

“The conference, which hold once in four years, amended the constitution in 2016 while another one is bill to hold in 2019-20, when you can amend a constitution again,” Ugwoke said.

Earlier, Mr Saheed Oseni, Chairman of LASU-SSANU told the NEC that 44 members of the association that were sacked by former Vice Chancellor of LASU, Prof Joseph Obafunwa, have been reinstated.
He also highlighted some of the achievements of the association to include payment of the 17 months’ salary arrears and the implementation of five-year single tenure for vice chancellor among others.

He commended the institution’s management, especially the vice chancellor, Prof. Olarewaju Fagbohun for his benevolence towards the staff welfare.

NAN reports that SSANU Western zone comprises of universities in the western part of the country.

TUC Asks Government to Invest Recovered Loot

Trade Union Congress of Nigeria, TUC, has called on the Federal Government to invest the recovered loot in infrastructure, manufacturing and any enterprise that would lead to job creation and economic growth, warning that the employment crisis in the country is a time bomb waiting to explode.

Speaking through his President, Comrade Bobboi Kaigama, the umbrella body for senior staff association in Nigeria, contended that the long years of negligence and adverse policies of government which had led to the under-utilisation of needed resources to maximum economic benefits was a major reason for unemployment and poverty in Nigeria.

He said: “TUC sees unemployment as a deliberate creation of our politicians. They know that when the youths are engaged they will cease to be willing tools for political thuggery, ballot box snatchers, body guards, etc. Politicians make our youths do what they would not want their children do. They call the youths “future generation” yet they crush their opportunities. We are in a recession and yet there is hardly any week billions of naira, British pounds and Euros are not recovered from markets, abandoned houses, toilets, airport, etc. We urge government to invest all the recovered loot in infrastructure, manufacturing and any enterprise that would lead to job creation and economic growth.

“The on-going economic recession has worsened workers challenges in terms of purchasing power and non review of minimum wage. Job losses are increasing in a geometric manner and factories are closing shops. Anti-labour activities, massive corruption among the elites, dearth of forex scarcity, oil price crash are all man-made problems. For the umpteenth time, we reiterate that we need a paradigm shift if we must count among the comity of nations.

“Our faith and hope wane by the demoralizing crises in the political parties. Even the National Assembly where the two major parties constitute the majority has also not known peace since inception. They have failed to do their statutory responsibility which is to churn out developmental and transformational laws. All they talk about are: uniform, fake certificate, insincerity in the declaration of assets, stolen monies in market, soak away, dilapidated houses, septic tanks, airports, burial grounds, and the failure of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, to tell Nigerians the total amount of money so far recovered.”

NULGE DELTA STATE, TO EMBARK ON STRIKE

The Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees, Delta State Chapter has issued a 21-day ultimatum to the Delta state government over non-payment of workers’ salaries in arrears of 8-13 months.

NULGE in a release signed by the State Secretary, Comrade Peter Ene, expressed discontent over the non-payment of salaries of Local Government workers in the range of 8-13 months arrears.
NULGE explained that the pains being experienced by its members have caused some of them untimely death while others live in hunger and frustration.

The union said it rejected vehemently the payment of Primary school teachers’ salaries at the expense of the Local Government workers, noting that after a careful and exhaustive deliberation of the issues under review, the State Executive
Council of NULGE resolved that the State Government should revert to the old order of uniform payment of both local government employees and primary schools teachers with the resources available.

“With this unfortunate development, the union will be left with no other option than to invoke the instrument of industrial action”, it added.

In a release, the union said: “the state executive council resolved to give a 21-day ultimatum to the state government commencing from Friday 5th May, 2017 within which all arrears of salaries ranging from 8-13 months should be paid or be ready to face industrial action”.

The release revealed that in readiness of their resolutions, NULGE will organize mass protests rally in the three senatorial districts within the 21-day ultimatum; while the mother of all rally shall hold in Asaba and will have in attendance the National President, civil society groups and Human Rights activists.”

Senators Give Support to Struggle for Local Government Autonomy.

For sometime, the National Union  of  Local GovernmentEmployees, NULGE, has been fighting for autonomy at the Local Government level.

This struggle was given a boost a few days ago, when senators threw their weight behind the struggle.

The Senators are of the opinion that ,granting autonomy  to local governments would help sustain democracy, and   free  the councils from economic strangulation  by  state  governors.
Some senators spoke on the issue.

Senator Emmanuel Bwacha, who is the Deputy Senate Minority leader, said:“Local government autonomy would have been the best thing to have happened to this country ,but the states will always frustrate  it because  of  the monumental fraud that take place there.’’

Also, Senator Peter Nwaoboshi, PDP Delta North, said that autonomy will allow the councils  to pay  salaries and foot their various bills.“They should have  autonomy and I support it because we are in a situation where local governments can’t pay salaries and can’t foot a single bill.
The state assembly can still oversight them  if they have autonomy like what we have at the national level. So the local government should be  granted autonomy.”

Sen Adesoji Akanbi, APC  Oyo South, said: “I have been a promoter and advocate of  local government autonomy. But before that can be granted, there must be an  amendment  of  the constitution to empower the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, as the only body to conduct local government elections. Senator Tayo Alasoadura, APC Ondo Central, concurred, saying: “I agree with them. The way some governors misuse local government funds is really deplorable.

Let Workers Choose Which Union to Join- ULC

The United Labour Congress (ULC) has urged the Federal Government to allow workers choose which labour union to join.

In a letter to the Ministry of Labour and Productivity, the union said compelling workers to belong to a particular union would amount to slavery.

ULC president, Comrade Joe Ajaero, was reacting to suggestions that the registration of the new union in addition to the existing Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) could create anarchy.

The union said every Nigerian worker has the right to decide which labour union to join.

“It goes against our traditions and norms as a labour movement to encourage slavery in any form either in the workplaces or within the trade unions.

“We believe in the unqualified rights of every Nigerian worker to seek the creation of platforms that would allow them to better articulate, project and protect their interests in all circumstances and at all times.

“We, therefore, encourage such workers with such desires to please go about it without fear or favour within the ambits of our laws and natural justice,” ULC said.

Challenge of Proliferation OF Labour Unions

The Nigerian Union of Postal Telecommunication Employees (NUPTE) on Thursday expressed concern over the proliferation of labour unions in the country, saying that the Federal Government allowed.

NUPTE President, Mr Sunday Al
hassan, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja that the Ministry of Labour and Employment should be blamed for the proliferation.

Alhassan said that it has been observed that more unions are springing out of the sector whereas the same unions already exist and this was causing problems in various unions.

“The Trade Union Act, Cap 1, Cap. T, 14, of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 2004, Section 3, 2, provides, that no trade union shall be registered or represent workers or employers in a place where there already exist a trade union. That is the law.

“What we have discovered is that as at today the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment for whatever reason, is busy registering other unions in the sector where unions already exist.

“The labour leaders are supposed to have seen this as a calculated attempt to weaken the system of the labour movement.

“Because there are a lot of unions that have applied for registration and already, they exist.

“I do not understand what somebody mean by Senior Staff Association of Road Transport Workers. But these are applications before the registrar of Trade Union, ” he said.

Alhassan, however, noted that the proliferation of the labour unions was a calculated attempt to weaken the system of the labour movement in the country.

He said that the Trade Union Congress and the Nigeria Labour Congress were strongly against the development.

“Every serious minded labour leader in this country, who has the interest of the Nigerian workers and the masses at heart will not canvass for the proliferation of industrial unions and labour centres.

“Why, because, in unity, we can stand with strength but when we are divided the government knows how to use the tool of divide and rule,” he said.

The NUPTE president noted that the lack of cooperation in labour movement had delayed the new minimum wage.

Alhassan also appealed to labour leaders to have a rethink by ensuring that personal interest, ego, among others should be put aside in order to achieve the struggle for workers’ welfare.

However, a reliable source, who spoke on condition of anonymity from the Ministry of Labour and Employment, told NAN that the allegation of proliferation of labour unions was not true.

She said that the NUPTE president was complaining due to a fresh registration right that was given to the Private Telecommunication and Communication Senior Staff Association of Nigeria.

She said the association was given the registration to manage the affairs of the senior staff in the sector, while NUPTE would continue to take charge of the junior staff.

“What initiate this move was that there were two unions vying for the membership in that sector, so they went to court and the judge rule against the unions.

“The judgment was that another union should be registered to take care of those categories of workers, so that is how the registration of that union came about.

“I want to assure you that we followed the rules and regulations of the Trade Union Act of 2004 of the Federal Republic of Nigeria,” she added.

Dr Peter Eson-Ozo, General Secretary, Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), also told NAN that the process of registration should take cognizance of the category of workers in a particular sector before any resgistration.

Eson-Ozo said that this was imperative as any attempt to register another union would lead to unnecessary proliferation.

“Well as of today, all we have canvassed for is that, the rule should be applied in the process of registering any new union,” he said.

He said that the labour movement would continue to work with the ministry to ensure that aspect of the law was not violated.

Cause of Salary Delays- Labour

The National Union of Textile Garment and Tailoring Workers of Nigeria (NUTGTWN) has attributed the plight of Nigerian workers through delayed payment of salaries and diversion of bailout funds to division in the apex labour movement. Reports from The Nation Newspaper says.

NUTGTWN General Secretary and former Vice President of NLC, Comrade Issa Aremu said: “The current assault on the work force such as delayed payments of salaries, diversion of bail-out funds are made possible because comrades are not united in mass actions against bad employers and bad Governors.”

Aremu, who addressed the press in commemoration of this year’s workers’ day alongside the President of the Union, Comrade John Adaji however, called on labour unions affiliated to Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) to critically use the occasion of May Day to get united for a vibrant labour movement.

According to Aremu, “We regret that as we point two accusing fingers at bad governors and bad employers, the remaining three fingers point at us too who are unacceptably divided against ourselves rather than united against common class enemy.

“It’s time we close ranks to ensure we have an NLC that commands the confidence of workers, be trusted by the public, respected by the government and employers.

“To this extent our union calls on NLC leaders at all levels to immediately implement the report of the NLC Reconciliation Committee under the Chairmanship of Alhaji Hassan Sunmonu aimed at resolving the avoidable crisis arising from 11thDelegates Conference last year.

“Textile Union is not happy that NLC could not have a common May Day in spite of the joint resolutions of all the parties to put the past behind. We commend Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, Alhaji Hassan Sunmonu, Comrades Ayuba Wabba and Joe Ajaero for the signed resolutions. It is however time we all implemented these resolutions with sincerity of purpose.

“We need a united NLC to fight the issue of unpaid salaries, the struggle for improved minimum wage, the war against corruption, revival of industries and the creation of mass decent employment among others. If we operate separately, we will be defeated separately, but if we are united we shall overcome. We must stop ‘comrades-on comrades’ quarrels,” he said.

However, the union commended both the Governor of Cross River State, Professor Ben Ayade and Gov. Adams Oshiomhole of Edo for their pronouncements in restoring the dignity of labour during the 2016 May-Day celebrations nationwide.

“At a period when not less than 22 states default in payment of salaries of the workers, Ben Ayade of Cross Rivers state announced the payment of May salaries of workers in the employment of the state government while  Edo governor, Adams Oshiomhole on Sunday announced the increment of the National Minimum Wage from N18,000 to N25, 000 with immediate effect, for employees in the State Public Service.

“The two governors have by their pronouncements demonstrated that the crisis of non-payments of salaries in most states is contrived, artificial, self serving on the part of the defaulting governors. It is not the lack of means and resources to pay their workers, but sheer lack of willingness to abide by the spirit and content of the 1999 constitution which says that the primary function of the government is the security and welfare of the citizens. It is a class war the defaulting governors are waging against their workers through denial of wages. In a decent country, there is always enough for the needs of all, including workers, but not enough for the greed of rulers, some governors inclusive.

“We commend both Governors of Edo and Cross River for breaking ranks with the gang of some insensitive greedy governors who assign little resources to labour as a critical factor of development, but throw scarce resources to phoney projects by ghost contractors in the garb of infrastructural Development. With respect to Edo, Comrade governor has also shown that wage payment is not just a function of ability to pay, but willingness to muster the ability to motivate the work force for productivity and development,” Aremu said.

We‘re no longer at ease with our conditions- Workers

THE increasing challenge of unpaid salaries and other benefits, job insecurity, casualisation of workers, intimidation, among other unfair practices, confronting both public and private sectors’ workers in Nigeria is the manifestation of the dangerous trend in the world of work. Writes Victor Young for the Vanguard

In fact, besides the melee that took place at the Abuja Eagle Square venue of the National May Day celebration organised by the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, and its Trade Union Congress of Nigeria, TUC, counterpart, reports of heightened restiveness of workers across the country is a pointer to the growing  frustration of workers  at the work places. Speaking on the  development during the May Day rally at the National Stadium, Surulere, Lagos, President of United Labour Congress of Nigeria, ULC, Comrade Joe Ajaero,   lamented that the future of the workplace was hanging on the balance and under heavy threat by forces of greed by both the corporate and individual. According to him: “Our workplaces are no longer places of comfort but have become places where the working class are exposed to serious psychological and mental torture.

Working and the world of work is being systematically stripped of its humanity while the frontiers of impunity and exploitation are being daily extended by the historical forces that have mindlessly pursued profit against the welfare of the majority. The ingredients that make work fulfilling are degraded daily and despite the centrality of work in shaping human history and the role workers play in this, their conditions are objectively destroyed. It is our belief that the destruction of our workplaces will destroy the society and its consequences for our world that conditioned the emergence of ULC on 17th of December, 2016. “Our declarations on that day which includes amongst others that; it has become imperative to reconnect the trade union movement to its ideological roots from where it derives nourishment and direction and that there is therefore an urgent need for a renewal and rebirth of the movement in order to recreate a movement capable of fulfilling its potentials to Nigerian workers, masses and Nigeria.

These are true today as they were then in December 2016. This is definitely not the time for bickering within the movement as what confronts us threatens our collective existence both as trade unions and as members of the global community. Revival of trade unionism “We must therefore seek amongst others; the revival of trade unionism in our nation and the globe, to reposition the trade union movement as a progressive partner to all structures involved in the pursuit of national development, to restore the soul of the movement and reconnect with the desires and expectations of Nigerian workers, peoples , to create a movement that is purely anchored on our original philosophies which is creating a coherent and vibrant platform upon which to engage our present realities and enthrone a trade union movement prepared to endure into the future, to offer a responsible, responsive and robust partnership between Nigerian workers and its social partners with an eye directed at innovative frameworks that would drive harmonious relations in our workplaces founded on the principle of equity, fairness, justice and progress We are happy to inform you comrades that since inauguration, we have taken these challenges with both hands.

The Aviation sector has received our determination and is becoming more compliant with the standard practice of labour relations and the laws governing it; the Private Telecommunication sector has tasted us and is also beginning to comply with our laws while after this May-Day, the Banks and other Financial institutions will have a taste of ULC before the Oil and Gas sector including the Electricity and Iron and Steel sectors. To this end, we once again call on those with wrong perceptions of our emergence to have a change of heart and take our outstretched hands of fellowship so that together, we can co-create a labour movement that would stand the test of time. Once again, we call on the Federal Ministry of Labour to urgently pursue the revitalisation of the Nigeria Labour Advisory Council – a tripartite body with a view to reviewing our Labour Laws and enacting new ones to strengthen the nation’s industrial relations space and make our workplaces and work safer. Protecting, defending workers’ right On his part, President of NLC, Ayuba Wabba, while speaking on how Congress had protected and defended workers’ right in the last one year, said:   “As leaders of the Nigerian Labour Congress and industrial unions, we have spent the last 12 months since our last commemoration here in Eagle Square in May 2016, fighting  series of battles to protect and defend workers’ rights. This ranged from public sector workers struggles with state governments, majority of whom were not prepared to prioritize payment of workers’ salaries and pensions in the various state civil services.

We fought against retrenchment in both the public and private sectors of the economy; we fought for firms and manufacturers to get foreign exchange allocation to keep our factories from closing, and our jobs moved to other shores, and countries in the sub-region. Within this period, we fought against the steep increase in the price of fuel; and we fought against corruption and for good governance Similarly, President of TUC, Bobboi Kaigama, said: “The federal government must understand that the world of work that is being undermined today is central to humanity. It is painful that we build the prairies upon which this country thrives yet the political classes muzzle us. Our work defines us.  We are always willing to work because we know the consequence of not working. Government must realize that one of the most dangerous people on earth are people who do not know where the next meal will come from, people who feel that nobody cares about their predicament and sees no reason to want to live, people who cannot meet the needs of their kids. “The federal government must take the creation of new workplaces seriously through empowerment schemes that would make real impact on the nation and not the jamborees that are celebrated in the media. This is the way to go if government really wants to deal with insurgency, political thuggery, suicides, robbery and the general discontentment towards the country.”

NLC to build 3,050 houses for civil servants- Sokoto

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) in Sokoto State says it will build 3,050 housing units for civil servants in the state. The stateChairman of the NLC, Mr Aminu Umar, disclosed this in Sokoto on Sunday at the 2016 May Day Celebrations.

Umar, who was represented by his Deputy, Mr Abubakar Malami, said that the houses will be built in partnership with some private estate developers. “So far, about 100 hectares of land had been acquired by the company on which the houses would be built including other facilities like clinic, mini market and schools, among others. “Therefore, I will like to solicit for your continued cooperation in order to help us achieve the set goals of improving the welfare of workers,” Umar urged.
He commended the State Government for ensuring the regular payment of salary and the payment of arrears of gratuities to retired civil servants in the state. The chairman extolled the existing cordial relationship between labour unions and the state government.
Umar further acknowledged the desire and commitment of the state government to improve the lot of the civil servants in the state. However, he appealed to the state government to look into the plight of retired teachers and workers of local government councils, as well as salary disparity between secondary and primary school teachers.
Umar further urged the state government to implement consolidated salary for legislative staff, as well as introduce a special media salary scale, among other demands. Gov. Aminu Tambuwal, who was represented by the Secretary to the State Government, Prof. Bashir Garba, said that no society can develop without a functional, robust, motivated and dedicated civil service. Tambuwal also pledged to sustain the prompt payment of salary and pensions, as well as uplifting the general welfare of the citizenry. The governor urged the civil servants to reciprocate the gestures of the state government by being disciplined, dedicated to their duties and more productive.