Labour
Workers’ Day: SSANU decries exclusion from 40% pay rise
The Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) has decried the exclusion of its members from the 40% pay rise for civil servants in the country.
The national president of SSANU who doubles as the national internal auditor for the Nigeria Labour Congress, Muhammed Ibrahim, made this known in a goodwill message to commemorate the 2023 International Workers’ Day.
Ibrahim, who noted that the union was determined to contribute positively to the “building of a great country,” also decried the failure of the government to release the salaries of its members which were withheld during the four-month strike period it engaged in during the year 2022.
Speaking in the statement released in Abuja on Monday, Ibrahim said, “Our members have continued to report for duty in the most security-challenging parts of Nigeria.
“It’s a pity that the federal government has remained adamant in the payment of withheld four months’ salaries during the nationwide strike in 2022. Comrades, you are all aware that SSANU complied with all industrial legal protocols before embarking on strike when the government reneged on its part of the bargain. We have made every effort for the government to see the reason why we should be paid our rightful due all to no avail. We are once again calling on the government to urgently pay the withheld salaries without further delay. The insensitivity of the government to the plight of workers is provocative and unbearable.
“Comrades, you are also aware that since we suspended the strike last year, the issue of re-negotiation of the 2009 Agreement has not yielded any result. It appears the federal government does not like the industrial harmony in the universities. We are calling on the government to without any delay ensure that the renegotiation is urgently concluded and implemented.
“On the 40 per cent pay rise, it is unfathomable why some workers have started receiving their payment, our members are yet to receive theirs. We call on the government to ensure that our members receive their own payment as soon as possible if not, we can no longer guarantee industrial harmony in the universities.
“We should also place it on record that the N50 billion Earned Allowances which the government promised last year is yet to be paid. We are using this opportunity to tell the government to release it as quickly as possible as further delay will not be helpful to the system.”
PDP urges workers to remain committed to prosperous Nigeria
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has urged Nigerian workers and all citizens not to give up but remain commited toward a stable, united and prosperous nation, especially at this challenging time.
The party made the call in a statement signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Mr Debo Ologunagba in Abuja on Wednesday while congratulating Nigerian workers on the International Workers’ Day.
Ologunagba saluted Nigerian workers for remaining steadfast as real drivers of the national economy despite the economy hardship, insecurity and other challenges facing the country.
He urged them to use their resilient spirit to resist all anti-people tendencies that seek to compromise and undermine the democratic tenets of freedom, rule of law, accountability and probity in the country.
“The PDP particularly condemns the continuing increase in electricity tariff and price of petroleum products with petrol now selling at over N1,000 per liter in some parts of the country,” he said.
Ologunagba called on the Federal Government to review its economic policies, and take urgent action toward addressing issues that have direct bearing on the welfare of the citizens.
(NAN)
Tinubu pledges better working conditions, fair wages for workers
In his maiden May Day message dedicated to workers nationwide on Wednesday, President Bola Tinubu pledged better living and working conditions for all Nigerians of working age, saying the “custodians of the nation’s machinery deserve a fair wage and enhanced welfare.”
The President’s Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Chief Ajuri Ngelale, conveyed the President’s remarks in a statement he signed Wednesday titled ‘President Tinubu salutes Nigerian workers on May Day.’
According to Ngelale, the President affirmed that his administration remains committed to improving the welfare of all workers, noting the various relief programmes, including the wage award and the imminent minimum wage review.
“President Tinubu strongly believes that the custodians of the nation’s machinery deserve a fair wage and enhanced welfare and that a labourer is deserving of not just any reward but fair and commensurate wages.
“The President assures Nigerian workers of his dedication to not only improving their welfare but also enhancing their working conditions and providing the necessary tools for them to succeed,” the statement read.
Labour Unions Call Off Nationwide Strike Following High-Level Intervention
In a significant development, the National Executive Council (NEC) of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) jointly decided on Wednesday night to suspend the ongoing indefinite nationwide strike.
The decision to halt the strike came after the National Security Adviser (NSA), Nuhu Ribadu, intervened in the matter.
Both Labour Centres, NLC and TUC, had earlier instructed their members and affiliated groups to initiate an indefinite nationwide strike starting on Tuesday, November 14, 2023. This directive was in response to the alleged brutalization of NLC President, Joe Ajaero, by policemen in Owerri, Imo State, on November 1.
Access News can confirm that the suspension of the strike reflects a resolution reached during the NEC meeting on Wednesday night. The involvement of the National Security Adviser played a pivotal role in the decision-making process, signaling a commitment to dialogue and resolution of the issues at hand.
The Labour unions had expressed their strong condemnation of the reported incident involving the NLC President, and the subsequent nationwide strike was initially intended as a means to address this concern.
However, with the intervention of the NSA, a pathway to resolution has been established, leading to the suspension of the strike and fostering hope for amicable resolutions in the future.
Labour Unions Call Off Nationwide Strike Following High-Level Intervention
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