…As NUFBTE returns Oyelekan as president
Stories by Bimbola Oyesola, 08033246177
Organised labour has insisted that Nigeria’s only way out of the present economic quagmire is a well remunerated workforce.
According to the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), it is only when the workers are paid as at when due that the productive arm of the economy can get the boost to support the resuscitation of the depressed economy.
Representing the NLC President, Ayuba Wabba at the 10th Quadrennial Delegates Conference of the National Union of Food Beverage and Tobacco Employees (NUFBTE), the General Secretary, Peter Ozo Eson lamented that Nigerian workers had been at the receiving end of the present economic crisis.
He said, “It is unfortunate that workers are being made to suffer the effects of which they were not the cause. Owing workers or depressing them will not be the way out of recession, to get out of recession salary should be paid as at when due.”
He maintained that it is when the workers spend the salary earned that the manufacturing and other service sectors presently going through various challenges can get a respite.
Ozo Eson said the Organised Labour is now ready to ensure that no employer be it federal, state or private employers owe workers, while equally pushing for the renegotiation of the existing minimum wage,
“After a year that we have submitted proposal, government is yet to initiate the tripartite committee that will deliberate on it, but we want to let the government know that if this is not done before the year runs out, then she must be in deluge if she thinks we will keep mute as we enter the new year”, he warned.
He however commended members of NUFBTE for the confidence and support giving to the leadership which made them to achieve so much within a short period.
The Permanent Secretary, Ministry of labour and Employment, Dr. Clement Illoh said the union has demonstrated ingenuity in the way to manage resources with the way it built two hotels, a bottled water factory and other ventures.
He commended the role the union played on the issue of foreign exchange restriction to their employers, which he said presently getting attention from the federal government.
The President of the union, Lateef Oyelekan, who was returned as the National President along with majority of his officers said with due diligence and foresight his union has now moved to the billionaire club.
He noted that the achievement was in spite of the present recession, noting that Nigerians irrespective of status and position must be ready to make sacrifices to turn the economy around.
“Until we all make sacrifices, that is when Nigeria can be great. The National Assembly should be committed and make sacrifices through their allowances”, he said condemning the National Assembly undue request.
Oyelekan also berated employees capitalising on the recession to undermine the interest of workers, while charging government to look inward in the procurement of uniforms and other items used by the agencies and parastatals.
Experts task FG on non-oil export for youth employment
Stakeholders have tasked the Federal Government to promote non-oil export as part of its agenda to address the current economic recession and youth unemployment.
The President, Successedge Export Network, SEEN, a subsidiary of Successedge International Limited, Mr. Godwin Oyefeso, said at the weekend in Lagos the only way for the country to be out of the present economic crisis was to give proper attention to the promotion of non-oil export and encourage entrepreneurs, including the unemployed to tap into the potentials.
Speaking at a forum termed ‘Money for Business Conference’ with theme ‘How SME can Survive in an Economic Recession Using Non-oil Export Alternative’ organised by the company on Saturday, Oyefeso said the country could not survive if it refused to promote exportation of its value added commodities.
He said the current economic recession presents opportunities for SMEs to grow especially in the aspect of export. He noted that most successful companies started during economic recession.
He therefore urged the SME exporters to always add value to their products and make them meet international standards for exportation.
He lamented that many SMEs exporters were passionate about their profit thereby compromising the quality of their products and as a result, the products would not meet the required standards.
Oyefeso said the conference was organised purposely to inform and introduce the SME operators to those channels through which they could have access to finance as many financial institutions including banks were invited to enlighten them on easy access to fund.
He noted that many SMEs were not aware of those channels, adding that many of them, despite knowing the availability of some government intervention fund for export, lack the knowledge of institutions through which they could get the fund.
It was also an avenue to disseminate information to the SME exporters as he said that many of them lack information on how to grow their business.
Oyefeso said the federal government was not committed to developing non-oil export due the huge revenue it got from crude oil.
He said, “If the government is serious about export, there are lots of policies and guidelines it would have rolled out to make that aspect of the economy very viable. For instance, by January now, you would see many foreigner especially the Indians in our bush taking our raw materials away, which we cannot do in their own country.”
Meanwhile, an official of Grofin international, an SME fund supporting organisation, Mr. Femi Salami, said the challenge to SMEs was not just access to money but for them to create viable businesses that deliver sustainable returns and social impact. He maintained that so many SME operators lack the ability and knowledge to produce sustainable products, which financial institution could support.
Speaking in the same manner, the formal Director General of Nigerian Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (NACCIMA), Dr. John Isemede said the financial institution in the country did not cater for the export; they only supported those who import goods into the country, thereby underdeveloping the local production capacity.
He said no entrepreneur could do business all alone with the external support.
He also charged the government to make non-oil export a priority as a way to relieve the country of the ongoing economic recession.
PENGASSAN calls for inclusion of workers’ interests in Petroleum Law
Oil workers under the aegis of the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) and the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) have called on the National Assembly to include interests of the workers in the Petroleum Industry Governance Bill (PIGB) currently undergoing the process of passage at the National Assembly.
The unions made the call in a memorandum submitted to the Joint Senate Committee on PIGB at a public hearing on the Bill last week in Abuja. PENGASSAN and NUPENG based their memorandum on five major policy broad thrusts, which are: Transparency and Accountability, Fiscal Terms, Institutional Framework (Minister, Regulator and Commercial entities), Refinery and other Downstream Activities, and Labour Issues and Membership of Institutions, Boards and Committees.
“The position of the NUPENG and PENGASSAN is that wherever matters concerning or connected with the workers such as interalia: remuneration, pension, welfare, transfer and deployment are mentioned, the unions (PENGASSAN and NUPENG) must be involved and Collective Bargaining Agreements (CBA) must be respected and clearly included in the law,” the unions stated in the memorandum.
According to the two in house trade unions in the oil and gas industry in the memorandum titled: “PENGASSAN’s Position on the Petroleum Industry Governance Bill 2016,” the Bill will determine the future of the Nigerian oil and gas industry, as well as the Nigerian workers.
The Position read in part, “This is more so as the Bill contains provisions about staff transfers from the NNPC and other impacted government agencies. The bill also plans to change the ownership structure of the government establishments in the Petroleum sector, including asset sales and eventual divestments.
“Clearly, the PIGB is intended to privatise as much as is practicable government interest in the petroleum sector. This if not carefully handled will lead to serious labour issues.
“There are also additional challenges posed by Repeals of existing laws as some of the Acts establishing the government agencies except for Petroleum Equalisation Fund (PEF), Nigerian Nuclear Regulatory Authority (NNRA) and Petroleum Training Institute (PTI) will be repealed by the PIGB.
“The position of the PENGASSAN and NUPENG is that staff of the NNPC and all other agencies that will be impacted by the PIGB must NOT lose their jobs or be allowed to be transferred on terms and condition of service that is less favourable than what they currently have under any guise.”
The unions noted that a major challenge that will confront the workers in the organisations and agencies that will be impacted by the PIGB, especially the National Petroleum Company, is the transition from a more socially focused organisation to a profit-focused organisation.
They stated that the severe changes that these organisations will bring will suddenly catch up with the workers like those of the PHCN successor companies, adding that a good example is the swift changes in behaviour and orientation that will be required from the workers.
“This is a huge change and challenge, and it is important that the process and transition be properly discussed ahead of PIGB passage with the workers and the unions that represent them (PENGASSAN and NUPENG)
“In addition, PENGASSAN and NUPENG Broad Policy Thrust on Labour issues as aforementioned must be respected and given due consideration. This is key for successful implementation of the law.”