Labour
Nigerian asks resident doctors, health workers to withdraw strike notices
The Federal Government has directed the National Association of Resident Doctors and the Joint Health Sector Unions to withdraw their strike notices immediately. The Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige, said this at a news conference in Abuja on Friday. Ngige was addressing newsmen at the end of a meeting with the Presidential Committee on Salaries, relevant Federal Government stakeholders and health sector professional associations and trade unions. He said that the Federal Government was recently issued notice of trade disputes by NARD and JOHESU. “I told them to withdraw because it is arm-twisting. It is not allowed in International Labour Organisation Collective Bargaining Agreement negotiation. So, we expect them to withdraw those notices they gave. “JOHESU gave 15-day ulti...
NSITF raises N180 billion from employers’ enrollment in 10 years
The Managing Director of the Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF), Dr. Michael Akabogu, has revealed that the agency has raised N180 billion from employers’ enrollment from July 2011-May 30, 2021. He also said that plans were afoot to plug revenue leakages, even as he warned the public to be wary of fraudsters masquerading as agents of NSITF. At an interactive session with Finance Journalists in Abuja on Thursday, Akabogu also stated that the scheme has registered almost 200,000 employers. Out of this number, 170,000 employers are actively involved in the scheme by making their contributions steadfastly. He added: “We have collected both from the private sector who have contributed about 80% of the total revenue and we have collected from the government and all other agencies, so we...
Anambra election: Group hails APC panel for confirming Senator Andy Uba as party’s guber candidate
A group, under the umbrella of All Progressive Congress (APC), Concerned House of Assembly 2019 Candidates, has hailed Governor Inuwa Yahaya, of Gombe State, led Anambra APC Primary Election Committee, for confirming Senator Andy Uba, as the standard-bearer of the party, for the November 6th, 2021 Anambra governorship election. Tribune Online gathered that the National Working Committee (NWC) of the party, shortly after the June 26, 2021, APC Primary election, held across the 21 local governments of Anambra State, set up a reconciliatory committee, headed by Governor, Inuwa Yahaya, to address other 11 aspirants that called for the cancellation of the process, including the Minister for Labour and Productivity, Dr Chris Ngige. The group, in a statement, signed and made available to Newsmen ...
Canada leads call on China to allow Xinjiang access – statement
More than 40 countries urged China on Tuesday to allow the U.N. human rights chief immediate access to Xinjiang region to look into reports that more than a million people have been unlawfully detained there, some subjected to torture or forced labour. The joint statement on China was read out by Canadian Ambassador Leslie Norton on behalf of countries including Australia, Britain, France, Germany, Japan and the United States to the U.N. Human Rights Council. Beijing denies all allegations of abuse of Uyghurs and describes the camps as vocational training facilities to combat religious extremism. “Credible reports indicate that over a million people have been arbitrarily detained in Xinjiang and that there is widespread surveillance disproportionately targeting Uyghurs and members of other...
Nigerian government asks judiciary, parliamentary staff to call off strike
The Federal Government has directed members of the striking Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria (JUSUN) and the Parliamentary Staff Association of Nigeria (PASAN) to “urgently” call off their over-two-month-old strike. The Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige, gave the directive in a statement on Tuesday, threatening that the government might be forced to invoke “sections of the Trade Disputes Acts” if the strike persisted longer. The threat is a government’s familiar warning of possible introduction of “no-work-no-pay” policy to break adamant striking workers. “The ministry will not be happy to be pushed into invoking sections of the Trade Disputes Acts capable of eroding all the gains made so far in the negotiations since May 6, 2021,” the statement signed by the ministry of Labou...
Resident doctors extend strike ultimatum by two weeks for federal government, states to act
The National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) has extended its strike ultimatum by two weeks to let the Federal and State governments to address the issues of welfare of their members across the country. The extension is contained in a communiqué at the end of the association’s 41st Ordinary General Meeting (OGM) which held in Nnewi/Awka, Anambra, between May 25 and May 29. The communiqué was release by Dr Uyilawa Okhuaihesuyi, National President of NARD, in the company of other members of the executive. It said that the association would resume a total strike action if its demands remained unattended to at the end of the period. It said that the strike was suspended following government’s promises as entailed in the Memorandum of Actions, signed at the instance of Minister of Labour...
Myanmar military tribunal orders 20-year jail terms for torching Chinese-linked factories
A Myanmar military tribunal has sentenced 28 people to 20 years in jail with hard labour for arson attacks on two factories, state media reported, after a string of mainly Chinese-financed factories were torched during unrest in Yangon in March. The army-run Myawady news portal said the offenders had targeted a shoe plant and a garment factory in the industrial Hlaing Tharyar suburb of Myanmar’s biggest city. Martial law was imposed in the suburb after the blazes, with dozens killed or wounded when security forces opened fire on anti-military protesters, media and an activist group said. The Chinese embassy in Myanmar said at the time that many Chinese staff were injured and trapped in the arson attacks and called on Myanmar to protect Chinese property and citizens. A total of 32 Chinese-i...
Strike: Kaduna government, NLC reach agreement
The Kaduna State Government and the Nigeria Labour Congress have reached an agreement on the plan by the state government to lay off workers. The NLC has since Monday led workers to protest against the plan by the Kaduna government to lay off the workers. The late Thursday agreement between the two parties was brokered by the federal government in Abuja. Part of the agreement was that the Kaduna government will follow due process and the “principle of redundancy,” as stipulated in Section 20 of the Labour Act, in its Public Service Revitalization and Renewal Programme, which is expected to lead to the retrenchment and sack of workers. The parties also agreed that the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) twill no longer continue with its industrial action while no worker shall be victimized by the...
NUPENG threatens nationwide strike over attack on labour leaders in Kaduna
File Photo Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers, NUPENG, has threatened a nationwide strike over attack on leaders of the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC including its President, Ayuba Wabba and other Labour leaders during Tuesday’s peaceful protest in Kaduna State as part of the ongoing five-day strike to force the state government to rescind alleged anti-workers policies including the recent mass sack of workers. The thugs had attacked the labour leaders after Governor Nasir el- Rufai left the Power Holding Company of Nigeria, PHCN, adjacent where the workers assembled, with heavily armed security personnel. The armed thugs came in a bus and attacked the Labour leaders with various weapons including stick, bottles, stones and machete. Reacting to the development, NUPENG expres...
Kaduna strike: Nigerian governors appeal to NLC to exercise restraint
Governors under the aegis of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) have appealed to the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) to exercise calm and restraint in its engagement with the Kaduna State government. The NGF in a statement on Monday by its chairman and Ekiti State governor, Kayode Fayemi, called for cautious introspection on the part of Labour as no meaningful progress of any kind has ever been achieved in an atmosphere of conflict and chaos. He said the NGF also wishes to remind the NLC that its actions could become counter-productive especially as the last year 2020 adversely affected workers socially and economically. “Therefore the NGF advises the NLC to explore the already open avenue of rapprochement that the Kaduna State government has provided to resolve the matter and join the State...
Nigerian governors to meet Wednesday over financial autonomy for state legislature, judiciary
Governors of the 36 states are scheduled to hold a teleconference on Wednesday to deliberate on the executive order 10 which grants financial autonomy to the state legislature and judiciary. In a statement issued on Monday and signed by Abdulrazaque Bello-Barkindo, head of media and public affairs of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF), there will also be discussions on measures to prevent a third wave of COVID-19 infections in the country. Bello-Barkindo said the forum will take updates on the State Fiscal Transparency, Accountability And Sustainability (SFTAS), among other issues. “The meeting, which is the 30th of its kind by the Nigeria Governors’ Forum, commences at 2pm prompt but Governors are expected to start logging-in from 1pm,” he said. “The meeting will cover lessons for States ...
Kaduna strike: Northern governors call for calm
The Northern Governors Forum has called for calm and dialogue between Kaduna State Government and organised labour, to resolve the ongoing warning strike by workers in the state. The Chairman of the forum and Governor of Plateau, Mr Simon Lalong, made the call in a statement by his Director of Press and Public Affairs, Dr. Makut Macham, on Tuesday in Jos. He said the forum was concerned of the impact of the strike on the state and its residents following the lockdown of economic activities in the state. The chairman noted that dialogue and negotiations were effective tools of addressing dispute in labour relations. He called for restraint and de-escalation of the situation to enable amicable resolutions. He pointed out that peaceful resolution was only possible when both parties operate wi...