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A bill seeking to regulate employment of domestic workers and other informal sector employees on Wednesday scaled second reading at the Senate.
The bill was sponsored by Sen.Mohammed Sani (APC- Niger).
Presenting the bill, Sani said that it also sought to empower the National Directorate of Employment(NDE) to monitor privately owned agencies who employ informal workers.
Sani said the operation in the informal sector was usually in small scale with labour intensive production and usually private ownership driven.
He said participation of Nigerian economy by the informal sector showed evidence of violation of employee rights and non implementation of labour regulations .
“Informal sector in Nigeria has practice that are not in conformity to the International Labour Organisation(ILO)best practices as ratified in its convention,notwithstanding that Nigerian is signatory to this conventions.
“There are still a lot of deficits in its implementation of these conventions, one of such area of concern relates to decent work deficit,decent work is work with fair and equal treatments , decent remuneration, and fair condition of employment,safety and social protection, opportunities for training and collective bargaining,” he said.
He said the primary role of the bill was to regulate the sector to promote strategic objectives, promotion of rights at work , employment , social protection and social dialogue.
He said on the contrary, many jobs in the informal labour market, still experience decent work deficit, adding that employees in the informal sector were often seen as having no right,and are not treated fairly by their employers.
According to him, the bill seeks to correct all the ills against the workers.
“This bill empowers the National Director of Employment (NDE)to issue licence and monitor the activities of employment agencies through out the country.
“The NDE shall receive an application from an agency who desires to function as an employment agency and issue licence having met the requirements and duly certified to play by the rules.
“The certification include that there is no criminal case against such agency, that it maintains proper books of accounts among other rules.
Contributing, Sen.Sabi Abdullahi (APC- Niger) said it was also important to ensure that the bill has provision to protect employers as there have been instances where employees treated the employers unfairly.
Following approval of the bill for second reading,President of Senate Ahmad Lawan thereafter,referred it to Committee on Labour and Productivity for further legislative input.
The committee is expected to return back in four weeks.
NewsSourceCredit: NAN
The World Health Organization (WHO) and the International Labour Organization (ILO) have called for concrete actions to address mental health concerns in the working population.
WHO guidelines released on Tuesday said that an estimated 12 billion workdays are lost annually due to depression and anxiety costing the global economy nearly 1 trillion dollar.
” Two new publications which aim to address this issue were published on September 27 on WHO Guidelines on mental health at work and a derivative policy brief.
The WHO global guidelines on mental health at work recommend actions to tackle risks to mental health such as heavy workloads, negative behaviours and other factors that create distress at work.
It said that for the first time WHO recommended manager training, to build their capacity to prevent stressful work environments and respond to workers in distress.
It said that WHO’s World Mental Health Report, published in June 2022, showed that of one billion people living with a mental disorder in 2019, 15 per cent of working-age adults experienced a mental disorder.
“Work amplifies wider societal issues that negatively affect mental health, including discrimination and inequality.
” Bullying and psychological violence (also known as “mobbing”) is a key complaint of workplace harassment that has a negative impact on mental health.
“Yet discussing or disclosing mental health remains a taboo in work settings globally,” it said.
It said that the guidelines also recommend better ways to accommodate the needs of workers with mental health conditions.
It recommend interventions that support their return to work and for those with severe mental health conditions, provide interventions that facilitate entry into paid employment.
Importantly.
The guidelines call for interventions aimed at the protection of health, humanitarian, and emergency workers.
Dr Tedros Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General, said it was time to focus on the detrimental effect work can have on our mental health.
“The well-being of the individual is reason enough to act, but poor mental health can also have a debilitating impact on a person’s performance and productivity.
“These new guidelines can help prevent negative work situations and cultures and offer much-needed mental health protection and support for working people.
”Ghebreyesus said.
He said that a separate WHO and ILO policy brief explained the guidelines in terms of practical strategies for governments, employers and workers, and their organizations, in the public and private sectors.
Ghebreyesus said that the aim was to support the prevention of mental health risks, protect and promote mental health at work, and support those with mental health conditions, so they can participate and thrive in the world of work.
” Investment and leadership will be critical to the implementation of the strategies.
he said.
Mr Guy Ryder, ILO Director-General said as people spend a large proportion of their lives in work , a safe and healthy working environment was critical.
“We need to invest to build a culture of prevention around mental health at work, reshape the work environment to stop stigma and social exclusion, and ensure employees with mental health conditions feel protected and supported,” Ryder said.
He said that the ILO Occupational Safety and Health Convention (No. 155) and Recommendation (No. 164) provides legal frameworks to protect the health and safety of workers.
Ryder said that however, the WHO Mental Health Atlas found that only 35 per cent of countries reported having national programmes for work-related mental health promotion and prevention.
He said that COVID-19 triggered a 25 per cent increase in general anxiety and depression worldwide, exposing how unprepared governments were for its impact on mental health, and revealing a chronic global shortage of mental health resources.
Ryder said in 2020, governments worldwide spent an average of just twi per cent of health budgets on mental health, with lower-middle income countries investing less than 1per cent.
NewsSourceCredit: NAN
The International Labour Organisation (ILO) has called on the Federal Government to create more jobs and economic opportunities as key drivers in the promotion of peace, resilience and social cohesion in the country.
The ILO Country Director to Nigeria, Ms Vanessa Phala said this in a Panel Session tagged “Using Social Dialogue and Labour Standards in Promoting Peace and Resilience in Nigeria’’ on Thursday in Abuja.
The event was organised by the ILO in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment to mark the 2022 International Peace Day.
The 2022 theme for the International Peace Day is “End Racism and Build Peace’’ and it is celebrated annually on Sept. 21.
Phala said that globally, almost 2 billion people were still living in fragile and conflict effected situation where poverty was increasingly concentrated.
“The ILO believes that employment, decent working condition and social dialogue can contribute to peace and resilience, ’’she said.
Phala also said that in collaboration with member states, tripartite constituents and other stakeholder, the ILO supports an employment-centered crisis.
“In Nigeria, according to the United State Institute for Peace, the government of Nigeria has successfully intensified the fight against the extremist group Boko Haram.
“Yet the country also faces resurgent militancy in the Delta, increased agitation by pro-Biafra nationalists in the Southeast, conflicts over land use in the Middle Belt, and an economic crisis triggered primarily by low oil prices.
“The lack of peace in Nigeria can be linked to a lack of employment and economic opportunities for the growing young population.
“As a result, achieving peace goes beyond military force alone.
The country must deploy Social Dialogue by interacting with all population, groups and creating decent jobs for the growing younger population, ’’she said.
Phala said that the ILO Recommendation on Employment and Decent Work for Peace and Resilience Recommendation, 2017 (No. 205) refered to important principles that would foster peace in the world of work.
She added that this include the freedom from child labour and forced labour, freedom of association and collective bargaining, and tripartite social dialogue, non-discrimination, and equality at work, Labour Inspection, among others.
Phala however, said that Nigeria had ratified most of the conventions concerning the thematic areas.
She said the ILO supervisory bodies had requested some practical and legislative measures for their improved implementation.
Also, Sen. Chris Ngige, Minister of Labour and Employment, said that social dialogue and the application of labour standards had remained key in the Labour Administration System.
Ngige, represented by Mrs Juliana Adebayo, Director, Productivity and Measurement Standard in the ministry, said the topic, “Using Social Dialogue and Labour Standards in Promoting Peace and Resilience in Nigeria’’ underscores the essence of tripartism in Labour Administration System.
“The critical role of social dialogue to stabilising our industrial relations pace was demonstrated during the negotiation on the National Minimum age and the recent concluded review of the Labour Bill, ‘’he said.
He said that government had created a stable political and civil climate in Nigeria that had enabled employers and workers organisations to operate freely without fear of reprisal.
He added that the government has ratified conventional tripartite consultation convention such as the International Labour Standard which is the highest attestation to the commitment.
“Government has also realized that, social dialogue is a veritable tool for the promotion of industrial peace and harmony, decent work, income distribution, among other in the country.
NewsSourceCredit: NAN
The Federal Government and the International Labour Organisation have called for more collaboration and partnerships to tackle 15 million children from child labour in Nigeria.
Dr Chris Ngige, the Minister of Labour and Employment, made the appeal at the National Children Conference in commemoration of the 2022 World Day Against Child Labour (WDACL), with theme “Universal Social Protection to end Child Labour’’, on Tuesday in Abuja.
Ngige recalled that in 2015, world leaders gathered and adopted the United Nation Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Target 8.7 in all its forms by 2025.
According to him, the call sought to take immediate and effective measures to eradicate forced labour and modern day slavery and human trafficking, and secure the prohibition and elimination of the worst forms of child labour.
He therefore said that the collaboration and partnerships was imperative amidst growing concerns of a global social crisis with alarming proportion.
According to him, global estimates have shown that child labour is on the rise; with an increase from 152 million to 160 million between 2016 and 2020.
“Sub-Saharan Africa has seen 19.6 per cent of all African children in child labour, and a possible nine per cent in hazardous work; this is in contrast to continued progress being made elsewhere in the world.
“In Nigeria, child labour has become a scourge.
Several children find themselves on the streets, forced to make a living, with others employed in industrial complexes and hazardous environments.
“Statistics revealed there are about 15 million child workers as at 2020, according to the ILO, with the UN warning that the absence of mitigating strategies could see an increase of children engaged in child labour by the end of 2022.
“This of course, will most certainly have massive implications in the near future.
However, as a country, we take pride in stating that considerable efforts have been made in dealing with this menace,’’ he said.
He added that most notably the adoption and ratification of ILO Conventions 138 and 182 on Minimum Age and Worst forms of child labour, respectively.
He also said that others are the passage of the Child Rights Act into law to domesticate the Convention on the Rights of the Child, with adoption by about 30 state governments.
He said that the implementation and enforcement of National Action Plan on Child Labour, Prohibition and Elimination of Forced Labour, Modern Slavery, and Human Trafficking in workplaces was spearheaded by the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment.
Ngige also said the National Steering Committee, as well as State Steering Committees, and Desk Officers on Child Labour were established at all levels of government and institutional levels to translate the provisions of the five-year National Action Plan.
“In spite of all these, we require more collaboration and partnerships to confront the task ahead of us,’’ he said.
The minister, while speaking on the theme for the year called for more investments in social protection systems in order to create a strong protection base that will keep children away from child labour.
`According to him, as we reflect on the progress being made so far, let us also not lose sight of the importance of providing safety nets for children in vulnerable conditions.
“The outbreak of COVID-19 brought with it a chain reaction that caused devastating effects on the long-term development and safety of children worldwide.
As a result, families were plunged into poverty and vulnerable conditions, among others.
“Also the households needing to employ various means for survival; this meant children were forced to go into the streets to bring income, exposing them to higher levels of vulnerability compared to adults,’’ he said.
He also noted that countries all over the world had to expand their social protection systems to adequately respond to the crisis, which could reduce the number of children in child labour.
He therefore said that President Mohammadu Buhari’s administration had done a lot in addressing some challenges fueling child labour in Nigeria.
“This include tackling poverty through Social Investment programmes such as Conditional Cash-transfer, Trader moni, N-power, Home Grown School Feeding,’’ he said.
He however commended the National Steering Committee and other stakeholders for putting together the forum for dialogue in the interest of the Nigerian children.
Also, Mrs Vanessa Phala, the ILO Country Director to Nigeria, said that in Nigeria, not less than 15 million children are engaged in child labour, and half of the number are bearing the heavy burden of hazardous work.
“I am pleased to tell you that the International Labour Organisation’s Dutch Government funded ACCEL Africa Project in Nigeria, in collaboration with the ILO’s tripartite partners, has intensified its social protection with a series of interventions in line with the ECOWAS Regional Action Plan.
“Others are the Nigeria’s National Action Plan, State Action Plans, and other roadmaps to achieving Sustainable Development Goal Target 8.7- the total elimination of all forms of child labour and forced labour by 2025.
“In addition, over 100 pupils and students have received re-enrolment and school kit support to keep their dreams alive and prepare for a better future,’’ she said.
Phala also noted that these interventions have targeted identified vulnerable children, guardians and parents in focal communities of Ondo, Niger and Osun States, with impacts beyond geographical boundaries.
According to her, to sustain our interventions, governments, social partners, the media, others need to constantly engage children to ensure sustainable policies, and implement legal requirements for the elimination of child labour through monitoring.
“There also need to improve relevant policy frameworks and provide innovative solutions to address poverty which is the root cause of child labour and forced labour.
“We urge employers to honour the right of workers to social protection by constantly remitting the employer’s contribution to health protection, old age benefits, employment injury scheme, and other support systems,’’ she said.
nanews.
NewsSourceCredit: NAN
The Federal Government says it will adjust workers salaries to meet the current realities in the economy of the country.
Sen. Chris Ngige, the Minister of Labour and Employment said this at the public presentation of the NLC of 40 publication titled, “Contemporary History of Working Class Struggles’’ on Monday in Abuja.
Ngige said that the Federal Government was very much aware that the N30,000 National Minimum Wage had depreciated.
“Yes the inflation has increased worldwide and it is not confined to Nigeria, that is why in many jurisdiction, it is an adjustment of wages right now.
“We as the Nigerian government, we shall adjust in confirmative with what is happening in wages.
“More importantly, the 2019 National Minimum Wage Act, right now has a clause for the review, which we started then, I do not know whether it is due next year or 2024.
“But before then, the adjustment of wages will reflect what is happening in the economy,just as government has started the adjustment with the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), ‘’he said.
The minister also explained that the Federal Government did not take ASUU to court over the prolonged strike of the union as some people claimed.
Ngige said he would have failed in his duties if he did not refer the matter to the National Industrial Court of Nigeria (NICN) after seven months of protracted discussions and negotiations with the union, which failed.
He recalled that ASUU was at the stage of Collective Bargaining(CBA) negotiation with their employers, the Federal Ministry of Education when they embarked on strike.
He regretted that the ASUU leadership did not even understand the import of CBA negotiation because they lacked the nutrients of labour unionism.
According to him, we have to counsel our brothers on negotiation.
No negotiation is forced.
You cannot say it is either you give me 200 per cent or I will continue my strike.
“There are laws guiding strike.
There are ILO principles on right to strike.
Nobody can take it away.
”But, there are things that follow it when you embark on strike as a worker and they are enshrined in the laws of our land.
“It is written in Trade Dispute Act. The ILO principles of strike talks about the right of a worker to withdraw services.
There is also right to picket.
These are things that are done.
”Nigeria is respected in ILO.
Some people said Federal Government took ASUU to court.
No. I referred the matter after seven months of protracted discussions and negotiations that failed, ’’he said.
Ngige recalled that he conciliated the dispute twice, first on Feb. 22, one week after the commencement of the strike and some agreements were reached, and he brought everybody back on March 1 for another conciliation.
He added that the only thing left was going back to the Federal Ministry of Education for the renegotiation of the 2013 agreement.
“Some people are saying 2009 agreement.
The 2009 agreement has been renegotiated in 20132014 with the administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan.
It is an anathema to use 2009 agreement.
“What is left is the renegotiation of their conditions of service, which is their right.
It should be done but they are negotiating it under the principle of offer and acceptance and it broke down irretrievably there at the Federal Ministry of Education.
“That kick-started Section 17 of the Trade Dispute Act whereby the Minister of Labour and Employment, whoever it is, if you don’t transmit according to the dictates of Section 17, TDA, 2004, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria.
“This means you would have failed in your function.
Therefore, I had to transmit, ’’he said.
Ngige, however, said the transmission did not mean that the matter could not be settled out of court.
He said either of the parties involved; the Federal Ministry of Education and ASUU could approach the NICN for out of court settlement.
He maintained that Nigeria must be guided by laws and nobody should use the dispute to harass anybody.
“The pro-chancellors said they want to do counter offer.
I told them to do it as quickly as possible.
Those are ingredients of labour relations.
“It is not enough if you misinform your membership.
That should be a disservice.
We should read through things as it is and interpret same way.
If I leave them in education, they will stay there two years,’’Ngige said.
On the 40 years of NLC, Ngige said: “A fool at 40 is a fool forever.
A wiseman at 40 is a wise man forever.
NLC is a wise man forever.
”nanews.
NewsSourceCredit: NAN
The International Labour Organisation (ILO) says it is providing technical support to the Federal Government of Nigeria to ensure the amendment of labour laws.
Ms Vanessa Phala, ILO Country Director, made the disclosure at the 15th Annual Banking and Finance Conference, organised by the Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria (CIBN) on Wednesday in Abuja.
Phala spoke with newsmen on the sideline of the conference after a panel discussion on the topic, “Workforce Globalisation: Opportunities and Threat’’.
According to her, ILO is currently playing a role in the dispute between the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) and the Federal Government.
“The role that we can play is not different from the role that we are already playing.
“I must indicate that the Federal Government has been in the process of reviewing labour laws and ILO has been in the forefront providing technical support.
“This is to make sure that the revision is in line with some of the conventions that the government has ratified.
“I think with what is happening with the ASUU situation, is of course happening in different countries.
I had an opportunity to be in South Africa an in the forefront of negotiating amendments to labour laws.
“So, you do get situations where the matter drags on for a very long period of time, but it’s unfortunate.
This is because we are talking about the future of the generation of Nigeria and that will actually contribute towards the economic growth and development of the country,’’ she said.
Phala advised that it was essential for parties to understand and recognise the need for speedy resolution of the problem.
She said, “I think in order to resolve them, there has to be willingness to look beyond some of the petty things, but there has to be commitment to also trust that the conversations and the solutions are for long lasting.
“So, it takes a lot, in terms of providingwww.
NewsSourceCredit: NAN
The International Labour Organization (ILO) and Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) have collaborated to build capacities of workers to participate in UN reforms relating
to decent work agenda.
The organisations are jointly organising a three-day capacity building workshop for NLC educators
on the United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework (UN-SDCF) and the
Decent Work Agenda (DWA).
At the opening of the workshop on Wednesday in Lagos, the Director of ILO Country Office, Ms Vanessa Phala, said that the workshop was crucial and planned as part of ILO’s ongoing efforts at exploring innovative approaches.
Phala was represented by Ms Chinyere Emeka-Anuna, Senior Programme Officer, ILO Country Office, Abuja.
“These approaches are for supporting and guiding trade unions and encouraging them to take a more proactive and assertive role in processes shaping development policies at national, regional and global levels.
“To this end, allow me to commend the ILO (ACTRAV) for launching, in April 2021, a publication entitled: `United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation and the Decent Work Agenda: A Trade Union Reference Manual’.
“The reference manual for trade unions emphasises their political and developmental role in the UN sustainable development.
“I am pleased to note that this workshop has been conceptualised around the themes and modules in the reference manual designed to explain and simplify UN country level development processes,” she said.
The official said that the processes included common country analyses leading up to the consolidation and adoption of the cooperation frameworks and the expected role of trade unions as well as how unions could promote ILO normative agenda, international labour standards and national development strategies.
A UN Coordinator, Mr Matthias Schmale, said that the UN-SDCF outlined how the UN system would leverage its comparative advantages and broad resources.
Schmale was represented by Ms Inviolata Chinyangarara, ILO Senior Specialist in Workers’ Activities,
Country Office, Abuja.
He said: “It has been written with the close collaboration and vital inputs of government at all levels,
along with a wide array of others from across the society, including the NLC.
“We are now close to finalising this essential framework; the document will be our North Star as it
outlines the how, what, where, when and why of the UN’s activities across the country.
“It outlines how we will drive change and accomplish the 2030 Agenda with its accompanying SDGs.”
In his remarks, NLC’s General Secretary, Mr Emmanuel Ugboaja, said that the workshop was unique because trade unions had not been engaged with regard to UN operations in the country.
“There is a formal effort to get the workers through the trade unions to be involved and get acquainted with the works of the UN in the country.
“This is the initial take-off to build the capacity of trade unions to understand the workings of the UN, particularly with regard to the development goals,” he said.
NewsSourceCredit: NAN
The Federal Government says it will meet with the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) at the National Industrial Court of Nigeria (NICN) for adjudication on Monday over prolong strike.
Dr Chris Ngige, the Minister of Labour and Employment, said this on Sunday in Abuja in a letter addressed to the Registrar of NICN, dated Sept. 8.
Ngige said this in a statement signed by Olajide Oshundun, Head, Press and Public Relations, in the ministry and made available to newsmen.
He said the referral instrument had become necessary following the failure of dialogue between the union and the Federal Ministry of Education.
He added that the matter is billed for mention by 9 a.
m on Sept. 12.
”The Federal Government has asked the NICN to inquire into the legality or otherwise of the ongoing prolonged strike by ASUU leadership and members that had continued even after apprehension.
“It asked the court to interpret in its entirety the provisions of Section 18 LFN 2004, especially as it applies to the cessation of strike once a trade dispute is apprehended by the Minister of Labour and Employment and conciliation is ongoing,” he said.
He also said that the NICN are to interpret the provisions of Section 43 of the Trade Dispute Act, Cap T8. LFN 2004, titled “Special Provision with Respect to payment of wages during strikes and lock-outs”.
Ngige said this ”specifically dealing with the rights of during the period of any strike or lock-out.
”Can ASUU or any other union that embarked on strike be asking to be paid salaries even with clear provisions of the law.
“Determine whether ASUU members are entitled to emoluments or ‘strike pay’ during their period of strike, which commenced on Feb. 14.
”Moreso, in view of our national law as provided in Section 43 of the TDA and the International Labour Principles on the right to strike as well as the decisions of the ILO Committee on Freedom of Association on the subject,” he said.
He added that NICN should determine whether ASUU had the right to embark on strike over disputes as is the case in this instance by compelling the Federal Government to employ its own University Transparency Accountability Solution (UTAS) in the payment of the wages of its members as against the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS).
According to him, as this is universally used by the Federal Government in the nation for payment of wages of all her employees in the Federal Government Public Service of which university workers, including ASUU members, are part of.
”Or even where the government via NITDA subjected ASUU and their counterpart, Universities Peculiar Personnel Payroll Systems (UPPPS) software to integrity test (vulnerability and stress test) and they failed,” he said.
Ngigi also said the federal government further asked the court to determine the extent of fulfillment of ASUU’s demands since the 2020 Memorandum of Action (MOA) that the union signed with government.
The minister said their demands include the funding for revitalisation of public universities as per 2009 agreement, Earned Academic Allowances (EAA) payments, state universities proliferation and constitution of visitation panels, and release of white paper on the report of the visitation panels.
He noted that others are the reconstitution of the government renegotiation team for renegotiation of 2009 agreement, which was renegotiated 20132014, due for renegotiation 20182019, and the migration of ASUU members from IPPIS to its own UTAS, which is currently on test at NITDA.
”Consequently, the Federal Government requested for an order of the Court for ASUU members to resume work in their various universities while the issues in dispute are being addressed by the NICN in consonance with the provisions of Section 18 (I) (b) of the TDA Cap T8. LFN 2004,” he said.
NewsSourceCredit: NAN
Reactions have continued to trail the recent comprehensive, total and indefinite strike by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU).
Some stakeholders who spoke with the News Agency of Nigeria in Port Harcourt on Tuesday described the recent announcement by ASUU on the indefinite strike as disheartening and a disaster to the education sector.
A parent who preferred anonymity expressed worries over the latest development, while calling on the Federal Government to dialogue with the union so that students could return to school.
“The roll-over strike by ASUU portends disaster for Nigerian education, it is a kind of nailing the coffin of education in Nigeria which is very sad.
” I think response to ASUU has been very lukewarm from the government’s side.
It is like government is not keen to tertiary education anymore.
” If it is not, then it should reform the system to give it a new funding mechanism.
” If tertiary education is run smoothly in in Ghana, Liberia, Gambia and much poorer African countries, what is the problem here?
,” he said.
He, therefore, appealed to the Federal Government to learn from these countries on ways to fund tertiary education in the country.
He also advised students not to lose focus but enroll in skills that will better their lives rather than getting involved in criminal activities that could destroy their lives
” I will rather advise students to learn new skills this period and in six months the could become data analysts, working online and earning incomes for themselves.
” If parents are prepared to send their children to school, they should also be prepared to send their children to learn new skills and not just sitting at home because you don’t know how long this strike will take,” he said.
Also, another concerned Nigerian, Mr Kanayo Umeh, said the country would not develop more than the standard of its education, hence the need to take tertiary education more serious.
Umeh said that the way forward to solving the problems is for government to have a honest conversation with ASUU.
According to him, ASUU president had said that the union was ready to bring up concrete resolutions to the table if government is ready to play its card.
” The government must therefore shift ground based on the recent realities and not make promises it can not keep to.
” This strike actions have affected a lot of Nigerian students especially Post-Graduate students who want to obtain their transcripts for further studies,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Save Public Education Campaign, a Civil Society Organisation (CSO) said that ASUU was forced to declare the indefinite strike.
The Co-coordinator of the organisation, Mrs Vivian Bello, said the organisation would continue to defend the 1999 Constitution to guarantee the freedom of associations and unions.
Bello called on government to meet ASUU demands without further delay or would mobilise Nigerians for a three-day mass protest in its favour.
”To us, we find it completely ridiculous that in spite of huge amount of money the government has lost to corruption, the Federal Government couldn’t deem it important to meet ASUU demands.
“Under the 1999 Constitution, to ban ASUU means that the Federal Government will attack the Chapter 4 of the constitution that guarantees freedom of association and assembly.
“This also means that the government will withdraw its ratification of the African Charter on Human and Peoples Rights and the Freedom of Association and Protection of the Right to organise Convention No 87of the International Labour Organisation.
“It portends danger to the Nigerian civil space because “In international law, ILO Conventions 87 and 98 recognise the right to recognise unions and collective bargaining,” she said.
NAN reports that ASUU had declared an indefinite strike on Aug. 29 after series of negotiations with the government.
ASUU President, Prof. Emmanuel Osodeke, had said the union had experienced a lot of deceit at the highest level in the last five and half years, saying FG engaged ASUU in fruitless and unending negotiations without a display of utmost concern.
.
Nigeria’s public universities have been on strike since Feb. 14 as ASUU declared one month warning strike over unresolved issues with FG.
A month after, the lecturers withdrew their services, the non-teaching staff also commenced their own strike over some demands they claimed the government was unable to meet.
Senior Staff Union of Universities (SSANU), the Non-Academic Staff Union of Education and Associated Institutions (NASU) and the National Association of Academic Technologists (NAAT) all went on strike.
While the three non-teaching staff unions suspended their strikes after government made some offers to them, ASUU has extended its own strike.
Some of the contentious issues that led to ASUU strike are: non-release of revitalisation fund, non-payment of earned allowance (or earned academic allowance), renegotiation of the 2009 Agreement and the release of white paper for visitation panel.
Others are: the non-payment of minimum wage arrears and the alleged inconsistency occasioned by the use of the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS).
NewsSourceCredit: NAN
The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike in Abia has described the Federal Government’s Consolidated Academic Salary Structure (CONUASS) as “unilateral”, hence unacceptable.
The group’s position is contained in a statement jointly issued by the Chairman and Secretary of the union, Michael Ugwuene and Paul Nwiyi, and made available to the News Agency of Nigeria in Umuahia on Saturday.
The statement is entitled, “Failure of Government: Collective bargaining agreement is the way forward.
”
It stated that CONUASS awarded increases of 35 per cent and 25 per cent of current salaries to Professors at bar, and other ranks, respectively.
It argued that the review was prepared by the National Salaries, Income and Wages Commission and presented to the Prof. Nimi-Briggs-led Renegotiation Committee, without inputs from ASUU.
“The crux of this matter is that the award is unilateral and a total breach of the provisions of all national and international legislations on which the Collective Bargaining Agreement is based,” the group stated.
It stated that the renegotiation process ought to have inputs of both government and ASUU teams as required by Trade Dispute Act of 1976; ILO Conventions 49 of 1948, amongst others.
“A negotiated salary, needless to say, affords industrial harmony because the worker has made an input.
“A negotiated salary is a right, an awarded salary is potentially arbitrary and is just that: an award,” the statement added.
It further stated that none of the issues that precipitated the six-month old strike, including salary, had been squarely addressed.
“Not even the issues that have no financial implications, like a commitment to adopt UTAS and the release of the Visitation Panel White Paper to the respective universities,” it added.
The group frowned at the committee’s resolve to push the payment of the Earned Academic Allowances to the individual universities.
It further expressed concern that rather than apply for a supplementary budget for its N170 billion revitalisation pledge, the Federal Government decided to shift the fund to the 2023 budget.
The union, therefore, called on well-meaning Nigerians to appeal to the government to quickly resume and conclude the ongoing re-negotiation “to enable our students go back to campuses.
”
NewsSourceCredit: NAN
