FMC Owo Labourers protest non-payment of salaries

Scores of casual workers at the Federal Medical Centre, Owo, Ondo State, on Monday staged a protest against the inability of the management of the centre to pay their salaries for the past one year.

The protesters, consisting of the security men and internal and external cleaners, insisted that there would be no work at the hospital until the authorities responded to their demands.

During the protest, all essential and administrative services at the hospital were grounded, as the group locked the main gate of the centre.

One of the protesters, Mr. Ashiru Mustapha, said, “We are suffering; we have families to cater to, yet the management did not do anything about our matter. For many months now we have not collected salaries. How do they want us to survive?”

It was learnt that the traditional ruler of the town, Oba Olateru-Olagbegi, later sent some chiefs to the centre.

The chiefs were said to have prevailed on the angry workers to open the gate of the centre.

The Acting Medical Director of the Centre, Dr Iliasu Ahmed, said the matter was before the Federal Government, adding that efforts were on to resolve it once and for all.

Workers need “living wage” not minimum wage – Labour

Labour leaders on Sunday expressed optimism that the Federal Government would give workers a living wage not minimum wage.

President Muhammadu Buhari on Thursday approved the appointment of a 30-member tripartite National Minimum Wage Committee for the negotiation of a new National Minimum Wage.

The labour leaders, who are members of the committee, spoke to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos ahead of the committee inauguration scheduled for Monday in Abuja.

The committee is made up of persons from the public sector (federal and state governments) and the private sector (members of the Nigeria Employers’ Consultative Association (NECA)

Mr Ayuba Wabba, President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) told NAN that“our expectation is that the demand of labour will be met.

“We will discuss with open mind to ensure that we achieve our aims and objectives,’’ Wabba said.

He said that the meeting with the tripartite committee would be a social dialogue and collective bargaining discussion.

He said that labour would discuss issues relating to rate of Naira because the present exchange rate had increased from the time N56,000 was being proposed by labour.

Mr Peter Ozo-Eson, NLC General Secretary, also said that the committee would discuss many issues affecting the minimum wage and the way forward.

According to Ozo-Eson, it is over two years since the organised labour proposed N56,000 as minimum wage to the government; and so will consider a number of socio-economic indices to take its action.

He said that the organised labour was looking forward to the inauguration because the committee was made up of a tripartite group that would discuss issues affecting the Nigerian workers.

“We look forward to the inauguration which I believe will discuss the facts and economic realities when it starts negotiation.’’

ILO proposes policies to end child labour

The International Labour Organisation (ILO) says improving legal protection and social dialogue between governments, social partners and other stakeholders are critical aspects in battling child labour.

A report by the ILO on Monday said there should also be improvement in labour market governance, social protections and access to quality education to tackle child labour.

According to the report, “Ending Child Labour by 2025,’’ efforts should be stepped-up to “consign child labour to the dustbin of history”.

The report said that in September 2017, 152 million children between 5 and 17 years were almost one in 10 in child labour globally.

It said that legislation alone would not be able to eradicate child labour but that at the same time, it won’t be possible to eradicate child labour without effective legislation.

”More than 99.9 per cent of the world’s children between 5 and 17 years are covered by the ILO’s Worst Forms of Child Labour Convention, 1999 (No. 182) , which 181 countries have ratified,” the report said.

The report said that ensuring that the standards were legalised as well as ensuring effective monitoring and enforcement of existing child labour laws were major challenges.

It said that there was need for stronger labour inspection system as it rarely reached workplaces in the informal economy, where most child labour was found.

”Work for adults and youth of legal working age that delivers a fair income and security means that households do not have to resort to child labour to meet basic needs or to deal with economic uncertainty.

”Well-designed labour market policies focused on where most child labour persists – in the rural economy and the informal economy – can help curb the demand for child labour.”

The report called for the establishment of regulatory frameworks to address child labour in supply chains.

The report said that the most effective way to stem the flow of school-aged children into child labour was to improve access to quality schooling.

Sacked Aero workers yet to get severance packages after 8 months – NUATE

The National Union of Air Transport Employees (NUATE) on Sunday said the more than 600 employees sacked by Aero Contractors Ltd. in March were yet to get their severance packages.

Mr Olayinka Abioye, the General Secretary, NUATE confirmed the development to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos.

NAN reports that the airline, which is presently being managed by the Asset Management Company of Nigeria (AMCON), had sacked more than 600 of its workers representing 60 per cent of its workforce.

The Chief Executive Officer of the airline, Capt. Ado Sanusi, had assured the affected workers that they would be paid their pensions and gratuities.

Abioye, however, noted that the unions in the sector had met with the airline’s management to see how the workers could be paid all their entitlements.

“The truth of the matter is that none of them have been paid the negotiated redundancy benefits but they have received their gratuities which were ware-housed by Stanbic IBTC.

“We just had a meeting with the CEO, and arrangements are in top gear to ensure that no matter how little it is, that whatever the management has been able to raise, will be disbursed to the beneficiaries.

“Let us begin this process of payment to rekindle hope in others that management is desirous of paying them their entitlements and this will be done as quickly as possible,’’ he said.

Abioye also confirmed that the management of the airline had reabsorbed some of its technical staff, following the approval given to it recently by the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) to carry out C-Check on series of Boeing 737 aircraft.

Labour holds rally for industrialization of Africa today

The Industrial Global Union Africa in collaboration with the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO) and Federal Ministry of Trade and Investment, manufacturers, will today will march for beneficiation and industrialization of African economies.
The Vice President of the Union, Comrade Issa Aremu disclosed this in a press statement made available to the media in kaduna yesterday.

According to him, the organized labour from different part of the country will gathered at Eagle Square where they will proceed to Yar’ Adua Centre.
The statement added that the rally is to mark the 2017 Africa industrialization Day (AID)
According to Aremu, Africa industrialization Day (AID) is a significant day declared by United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO)an annual platform for Governments, businesses and organized labour linked to industrial development to examine ways and means to stimulate Africa industrialization process.
His word; “Industrialization and industrial policies as well as national development are too important to be left to governments and businesses alone.

“Indeed promoting sustainable industrial policy is one of the critical success goals of our global union.
“In Africa, promoting sustainable industrial policy assumes a special importance. Industry is a key driver of sustainable jobs and development for national economies and the foundation of good living standards.
“It does not matter whether it is first industrial revolution, (Industry 1.0), Second Industrial Revolution (2.0) Third Industrial Revolution (Industry 3.0) or the Fourth Industrial Revolution (Industry 4.0)
“We as Africans must make what we wear (gold, rings and necklaces, clothes and textile), what we ride, (automobiles), what fuel our cars (petroleum products) what we build with (iron and steel), soaps we bath with (chemicals and allied products) and generate energy we consume.
“We must stop exporting raw cottons, crude oil, mineral resources, gold and diamond only to be importing finished goods from China, Europe and America. It does not matter whether it is small or medium scale enterprises, Africa must consume products it produce not imported or smuggled as it is the case in Nigeria.

“UNIDO over the years had shown that manufacturing industry in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) lags behind other developing regions in almost all measures of economic development, namely income per head, industrialization and agricultural productivity.
“The distribution of manufacturing activity in SSA, measured by the dollar value of manufacturing value added (MVA), is highly skewed.

“In 2015 Africa has as many as 1.2 billion population. Millions of
youths join the labour market annually. Only industry can provide sustainable jobs and living wages and necessary revenues for government to provide the needed infrastructure for development.
“For Africa to meet the Sustainable Development Goal 2030, especially SDG 9 dealing with industry and innovation our continent must innovate and industrialize.
“Africa should stop being romantic and clapping for China through uncritical importation of goods and services.

“Rather Africa must copy China’s industrialization drive which has within 20 years moved over 250 million people out of poverty through manufacturing and industrialization.
“Africa must make what it consumes, otherwise it will be consumed by the rest of the world.
“Many African countries have robust documents and policies on industrialization and diversification, yet few existing industries are closing with mass job losses.

“It’s time South Africa, Nigeria, Senegal, Ghana! Zimbabwe, Sudan walked/worked the policies and add value to the continent abundant raw materials.
“Today we acknowledge and commend the Federal Government of Nigeria for launching the Economic Recovery and Growth Plan. Together with the existing National Industrial Revolution Plan, it can promote revival of industries and creation of mass decent jobs.”

Labour leader wants more training for lecturers in medical schools

Dr. Yahaya Madaki, a labour leader, has urged the Niger State Government to support lecturers in the School of Health Technology, Minna to acquire higher certificates so as to enhance service delivery.

‎Madaki, Chairman of the school’s chapter of the Medical and Health Workers Union, made the call in an interview with newsmen, on Saturday in Minna.

“Most of the lecturers in the school want to acquire Masters and doctorate degrees and need scholarship to do that, but the Niger Government does not appear interested in that,” he said.

Madaki said that he was forced to sponsor his studies for a PhD in the University of Malaysia when the government refused his request for support.

“Many of my colleagues that can afford it have gone back to school to acquire higher certificates, but others cannot afford it and have remained helpless,” he said.

‎Madaki declared that teaching in a health school without training and retraining was dangerous for the health sector.

“Patients need experts that will understand complexities of their ailments and deal ‎with them accordingly. If we cannot train good medics from here, the society will be the worse for it,” he said.

He said that government’s acclaimed commitment to improving the health sector would be a mirage if teachers in medical schools were not supported to learn modern trends in the sector

“As an academic institution, we need grants from government to attend academic workshops, seminars and conferences; the Niger government does not appear interest in that,” he alleged. ‎

He urged government to pay more attention to training to shore up the quality of teaching in the schools.

Madaki also urged government to provide infrastructure at the permanent site of the school, saying that the temporary site had proved too small for any meaningful development.

“You can see that I am sitting in the library; this is my office. I am not supposed to be here but there is no office for me. Many of my colleagues are four or five in one office which is just embarrassing,” he said.

Labour opposes federal govt plans to hire Malaysian consultants for $1m

The Industrial Global Union Africa has opposed the decision of the Federal Government to hire Malaysian consultants for $1 million to conduct a study that will aid the implementation of the National Economic Recovery and Growth Plan 2017-2020.

The union described the move as unpatriotic, noting that the government should rather hire Nigerian consultants to do the job instead of enriching foreigners.

The Vice President of the organization, Issa Aremu said at a news conference in Abuja on Sunday that there are Nigerians and other Africans who could do the job.

He stated that paying such a huge amount to foreigners for a job Nigerians could do did not show that the government was serious about promoting Nigerian goods and services.

“Are we saying we cannot get Africans to provide these services? How can we pay huge amounts of the budget to Malaysians in implementing a document that talks of patronizing ‘made in Nigeria’ products,” the union leader asked.

Speaking on the Africa industrial day commemoration, Aremu noted that African countries must promote sustainable industrial policy, adding that industry is a key driver of sustainable jobs and development for national economies and the foundation of good living standards.

He stated that Africans must produce what they consume, and stop exporting raw materials while importing finished products from Asia, Europe and America.

He said, “Africa should stop being romantic and clapping for China through uncritical importation of goods and services; Rather, Africa must copy China’s industrialization drive which has within 20 years moved over 250 million people out of poverty through manufacturing and industrialization.”

Aremu cautioned employers against criminalizing skill gaps, noting that deficient workers should be retrained and re-skilled.