Minister of Labour and Productivity Chief Emeka Wogu, has assured Nigeria teachers of the commitment of President Goodluck Jonathan to various reforms aimed at improving the welfare of Nigeria workers.

Chief Emeka Wogu made this remarks in Abuja today while receiving the National Executive of the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) led by its National President Comrade Micheal Alogba Olukoya who were on a courtesy visit to his office.

A statement by Samuel Oloowokere, Assistant Director (Press), said “This administration is concerned with certain reforms that have taken place in Labour sector, Electoral, Power and other reforms that are intended to improve the life of Nigeria citizens and economy of the country including the productivity level”.

The minister affirmed that any Union that is yet to be registered by his Ministry remains unregistered and the effect of that, is that it is not a trade union under the law and will not be recognized by the ministry of labour and productivity. The issue of such illegal activities once established will be put across to relevant agencies that are involved in investigation and prosecution of illegal activities in line with our extant laws and adherence to the rule of law”.

SSACTAC petitions Jonathan over funding of FHA

SENIOR Staff Association of Communications, Transport and Corporations, SSACTAC, has petitioned President Goodluck Jonathan, seeking for adequate funding of the Federal Housing Authority, FHA, to enable it perform its statutory responsibilities.

In a petition by the President-General and General Secretary of SSACTAC, Comrades L A Adesunkanmi and Chile Ekeke, respectively, the association said: “The Federal Housing Authority is charged with the execution of the laudable Federal Government of Nigerian programme on Housing for all. The commitment of the workers and management of the Authority to this noble objective is highly commendable.

However the efforts of this workforce will yield better dividends for the citizens of this country if the Authority is adequately funded. So far the Federal Housing Authority which was not given a commensurate take off grant by the Federal Government has also been removed from its subvention list. The last mentioned has further compounded their inability to provide affordable housing to Nigerians as a good portion of the scarce resources available to the Authority are committed to staff wages and other running costs.”

Perm Sec visits MINILS, stresses importance of unions

PERMANENT Secretary, Ministry of Labour and Productivity, Professor Simon Ogamdi, has said that labour unions are very important and vital to the progress of democracy in the country.

Professor Ogamdi who made the remark during a visit to Michael Imoudu National Institute for Labour Studies, (MINILS) Ilorin, Kwara State, noted that industrial harmony was very critical to the desire of every Nigerian in order to move the country forward.

He commended the Director-General of the Institute, Dr. John Niyi Olanrewaju and his management team for the progress recorded since the assumption of office of the Director-General.

He promised to accelerate whatever he felt would enhance the development and better performance of the Institute.

The Permanent Secretary charged the staff of the Institute to be good ambassadors, do their job diligently well, and exhibit good Morales that could further influence positively the perception of the public about the Institute.

Earlier in his welcome remarks, the Director-General of the Institute, Dr. John Niyi Olanrewaju, thanked the Permanent Secretary for his interest in workers education issues and his effort in building the capacity of the stakeholders in order to be able to engage them constructively.

Dr. Olanrewaju who stressed that today’s unionists are well engaged and are very responsive to dialogue informed the Permanent Secretary that the Institute has the mandate to build the capacity of all the partners in the practice of industrial relations.

FOBTOB calls Tribunal to try tax evaders

FOOD, Beverage and Tobacco Staff Association, FOBTOB, has called on the government to set up a special tribunal to try and penalise tax evaders, especially companies.

President of FOBTOB, Comrade Tunde Abdulrahman who spoke in Lagos, urged government to provide social amenities from tax payers money, lamenting that Nigeria workers do not get corresponding benefits as tax payers

According to him: “Nigerian Workers cannot be said too have benefitted much from the government. The tax law impose great tax burden on workers but does not provide their needs. As a worker I pay one third of their money as a tax payer. I do not need to worry about good hospital when am sick, education, accommodation or order social amenities.’’

He said it was regrettable that Nigerians do not have access to portable water, transportation services, security, good road network, electricity, health care delivery system and free education and cited Europe as an example where citizens pay tax and get the social and infrastructural benefit in return but the reverse was the case in Nigeria .

Comrade Abdulrahman called on the government to create a mechanism that would regulate prices so as to curb inflation in transportation, food item, building material and others, saying“because there is no regulation that is the reason why artisans can increases prices of their wares to take care of inflation and the workers salaries are fixed for years and not be changed to respond to inflation.”

ASCSN seeks inclusion of NIC in constitution

ASSOCIATION of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria, ASCSN, has called on the lawmakers to use opportunity of the ongoing review of the 1999 constitution to list the National Industrial Court, NIC in the constitution.

At its National Executive Council, NEC Meeting in Abuja, ASCSN argued that NIC had discharged its functions creditably as the Apex Court on Industrial Relations matters since its establishment in 1976.

It therefore pleaded with the authorities to use the ongoing review of the 1999 constitution by the National Assembly to list the NIC in the constitution accordingly so as to resolve once and for all the unnecessary controversy on its status as a special superior court of records on labour matters.