New Telegraph

Kano govt boycotts Workers’ Day celebration

•As NLC tackles Ganduje over unpaid N26bn pensions

•Bamidele charges FG to strengthen economy to make 30,000 minimum wage meaningful

 

Muhammad Kabir and Adewumi Ademiju

 

There was disappointment at the venue of the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) May Day events in Kano as government officials including the Kano State Head of Service stayed away from the event.

 

The development forced the state chairman of NLC, Comrade Kabiru Ado Minjibir to skip all parts in his speech which extended courtesies to the state government and went ahead to charge the government to settle outstanding N26 billion pensions and gratuities owed retirees by the state.

 

Minjibir said: While delivering his speech that, “it is unfortunate that no single government official is present here today including the Head of service, but this will not stop us from doing the programme”.

 

He expressed displeasure over the rumour that the Kano State government is returning to N18, 000 minimum wages, even as he acknowledged the fact that the Ganduje administration is among few in the country which pays workers’ salaries regularly.

 

 

“Let me warn that we will not in any way accept Kano returning to the N18, 000 minimum wage, we will fight any moves towards that, and we have agreed with the government to include us in the knowing of how much the state generates and what is there for workers”.

 

This is even as the Chairman of the Southern Senators’ Forum, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele, has tasked the President Muhammadu Buhari to strengthen the economy in order to make the N30, 000 minimum wage meaningful to Nigerian workers.

 

Bamidele said the current hyper – inflation blowing across the nation has affected every sector of the economy and had rubbished the dividends inherent in the implementation of the new minimum wage. The Senator representing Ekiti Central said this in a statement made available to journalists commemorating the 2021 edition of the Workers’ Day.

 

Workers key to national growth–AbdulRazaq

 

Stephen Olufemi Oni ILORIN

 

Kwara State Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq has said workers are very important to national growth, noting that whatever developmental mileages the administration has made across sectors are linked to the workforce.

 

Speaking at the 2021 commemoration of the annual May Day in Ilorin, the Governor also reassured Kwara workers of his administration’s commitment to improving their well-being despite the dwindling revenue amid the impact of COVID-19.

 

Workers worst hit by insecurity

UCHENNA INYA ABAKALIKI

 

Comrade Ikechukwu Nwafor led Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Ebonyi State, yesterday said workers were the worst hit in the killings in the state arising from insecurity. Addressing workers in Abakaliki, Nwafor appealed to the perpetrators of the killings and their sponsors to embrace dialogue and end the killings.

 

He urged Governor Dave Umahi to be proactive in addressing the deteriorating security challenge in the state. He called on the Governor to bring to book all those fingered in the communal war in the state which has claimed many lives.

 

JUSUN strike will end next week, says Lalong

 

Musa Pam JOS

Plateau State Governor and Chairman Northern Governors Forum Simon Lalong said the ongoing Judiciary staff Union of Nigeria (JUSUN) Strike will end this week. He said that he was ready to sign the document granting state judiciary financial autonomy, saying when he was the Speaker of Plateau State House of Assembly I approved the autonomy of the judiciary. Lalong stated this on Saturday.

 

“I appeal to members of JUSUN and PASAN to call off their strike as the issues of autonomy for the Judiciary and Legislature have been resolved and implementation is about to start. In Plateau, we have already started by putting in place the machinery for implementation,” he said.

 

 

Insecurity: Buhari must seek int’l help, embrace technology – Ondo workers

Adewale Momoh AKURE

Following the spate of insecurity across the country, workers in Ondo State urged President Muhammadu Buhari to seek international help as well embrace the use of technology to combat the menace.

 

The workers under the aegis of Organised Labour who lamented that there is nowhere that is safe anymore in the country for Nigerians to live, maintained that the country is gradually sliding into the state of anarchy.

According to the Chairman of the Trade Union Congress, TUC, in the state, Mrs. Helen Odofin the basic responsibility of any government is the protection of lives and properties of other citizens.

 

Bello hails workers’ dedica tion, assures to prioritise welfare

 

The Kogi State Government has lauded the commitment of workers in the state towards the rapid growth of the civil service and the overall development of the state economy with an assurance to continue to give priority to their welfare in the years ahead. Governor Yahaya Bello gave the assurance yesterday in his address.

This came as the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) urged the National Assembly not to remove national minimum wage from the exclusive legislative list so that the security of labour will be guaranteed.

 

Chairman of the NLC Kogi state council, Comrade Onuh Edoka, in his welcome address, said removing the national minimum wage from the exclusive legislative list will pave way for the government’s reluctance in contemplating increase in salaries and subject the process to unnecessary dialogues, strikes and loss of work hours.

 

Labour flays workers’ victimisation amidst COVID-19

 

The Trade Union Congress (TUC), has condemned the victimisation of workers following the outbreak of coronavirus pandemic. Speaking in Lagos yesterday as part of the celebration, the Chairman, TUC, Lagos State Council, Comrade Gbenga Ekundayo, said the day provided an opportunity to condemn in strong terms all unfair labour practices at this critical time.

 

This year’s theme is “COVID -19 pandemic, social and economic crises, challenges for decent jobs, social protection and people’s welfare.”

 

While calling for more awareness on the rights of workers by union leaders and the need for social dialogue by critical stakeholders, Ekundayo tasked the government to, as a matter of urgency, look for ways to strengthen the social security system so that workers can be adequately protected at all times.

 

NLC calls for implementation of N30, 000 to council workers

Ahmed Miringa MAIDUGURI

The Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC), the Borno State Chapter called on the state government to implement the N30, 000 National minimum wage to the Local Government staff and their local education Authority counterparts.

 

The NLC chairman, Comrade Bulama Abiso while speaking at the 2021 May Day celebration held at the Labour House, Maiduguri on Saturday said, “the Labour sincerely wishes to appeal to the state government to consider implementing the N30, 000 minimum wage benefit to our members at both the Local Government and the Local Education Authority, this we believe will boost their morale and productivity towards service delivery.”

 

Organised labour to Niger govt: You’v failed in securing citizens lives

Daniel Atori MINNA

The organised labour has criticised the Niger State Government over its failure to secure the lives and properties of its citizenry from bandits whose activities have claimed uncountable lives and rendered several thousands homeless.

 

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) decry the level of insecurity in the state saying, villagers now live at the mercy of armed bandits. The Organised Labour called on the state government to end anti-workers’ behaviour which is fast creeping in and affecting mostly the Ministry of Finance and its Local Government counterpart with huge financial liabilities.

 

Jubilant Enugu workers hail Ugwuanyi’s commitment to welfare

 

Jubilant workers of Enugu State, on the platform of the organized labour, have commended Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi for his administration’s laudable projects and programmes aimed at improving their living standard and that of the entire people of the state.

 

The workers who spoke, through the State Chairman of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Comrade Virginus Nwobodo and his Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC) counterpart, Comrade Benneth Asogwa, during the occasion of this year’s May Day celebration, held at the Michael Okpara Square, Enugu, appreciated Gov. Ugwuanyi, who was present at the annual event, for his unequalled resilience in the approval and payment of the new N30,000 minimum wage and its consequential adjustment to the state workers.

 

Obaseki hails Edo workers, seeks collaboration to expand tax net

Francis Ogbuagu BENIN CITY

 

The Edo State Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki has commended workers in the state for their contribution to the peace and development of the state, while assuring them that his government will sustain reforms and policies to guarantee better living standards for citizens. Obaseki gave the assurance in Benin City while addressing Edo State workers during an event to mark 2021 Workers Day. Obaseki said the people of Edo State are the greatest assets of the government, reassuring of his administration’s commitment to do more for Edo people. He noted that the government was ready to collaborate with Edo State workers to expand the state’s tax net amid dwindling revenue from the Federal Government, adding “this will enable the Government generate more revenue to sustain decent jobs and provide social protection for the people of the State.”

 

Sanwo-Olu okays 10 hectares for Workers’ Housing Estate

 

Muritala Ayinla

 

Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State yesterday approved 10 hectares of land in Idera, Ibeju Lekki, and Badagry for workers’ housing schemes, saying workers in the state deserve a better living condition.

 

The Governor also promised that the labour unions will now have a befitting secretariat to aid their operations, assuring that the secretariat would be ready before next year’s May Day.

 

Speaking at the Mobolaji Johnson Arena, venue of the 2021May Day Rally in Lagos, Sanwo-Olu said the labour unions would have a representative on the Board of the Pension Commission, pledging that the State Government would extend the courtesy to other labour-centric statutory bodies. He asked the organised labour to immediately forward the name of their representative for the pension board.

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