Solomon2day

The Federal Workers Forum (FWF) has appealed to the federal government to discontinue the treatment of workers as slaves. This appeal was made by the FWF National Coordinator, Comrade Andrew Emelieze, in a chat with Solomon2day. ''We urge the federal government to stop treating workers like slaves; we are citizens. The new national minimum wage has led to the financial embarrassment of federal workers; our government must rethink her attitude towards the Nigerian workers.  Most unfortunately, our government is still owing us five months wage award arrears earlier promised to cushion the effects of petrol subsidy removal, and labor is not doing anything; this is indeed very shameful. The government is also owing poorly paid workers lots of arrears of various allowances. In the crucial sectors of health and education, the workers have continued to plead for their legitimate dues, all to no avail. ''Federal workers also posit that the entire labor movement and the left ha...

Workers in both the public and private sectors of all sectors of the economy in Nigeria are yet to attain the acceptable state of mind to guarantee unimpeded productivity. Living wages and human-friendly conditions of service boost efficiency, effectiveness, and diligence in economies that value the worth of their workforce. However, lamentations, complaints, grumblings, and arguments have for so long characterized the approach of workers to the scheme of things. Sadly, the multiple effects of the obvious disregard for the workforce have manifested in all sectors of the economy. Comrade Andrew Emelieze is the convener of the All Workers Convergence and Federal Workers Forum. Comrade Emelieze laments that the situation is almost hopeless, just as he calls on those in charge to salvage the country's helpless workers. ''The new national minimum wage is nothing to write home about. Workers in Nigeria are in a state of confusion over the implementation of the N70,000 mini...

Members of the Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria (ASCSN) are patiently waiting for the end to the prolonged crisis in the association's leadership ranks. The crisis that has persisted for so long revolves around self-interest and greed. Indeed, members and others from different unions in Nigeria look up to the National Industrial Court (NIC) to put the crisis to a permanent end. The convener of the Federal Workers Forum (FWF) and the All Workers Convergence (AWC), Comrade Andrew Emeleze, urges workers in the country to be peaceful in their conduct. ''Our hope lies in the judiciary; members should be patient and go about their lawful duties with diligence. We are full of hopes that the judiciary will bring an end to the lingering impunity and corruption in the ASCSN. Let us be patient.''Comrade Emeleize stated. The judiciary, without doubt, will serve as a reprieve for distraught and disillushioned members, even though one of the parties to the ...

  Teachers in Oyo state have pledged their continued loyalty to the state governor, Engr. Seyi Makinde for his good deeds to them. The teachers made this pledge on Saturday through the chairman of the state wing of the Nigeria Union of Teachers(NUT), Comrade Raji Oladimeji during the 2024 World Teachers Day celebration in Ibadan, Nigeria. ''On behalf of all the teachers in Oyo state, I say thank you father, we will remain loyal. We appreciate the governor for so many things he has done for us. Kindly permit me to mention a few of the laudable achievements so far recorded since the assumption of office as the Executive Governor of Oyo state: 1)Prompt and regular payment of teachers' salaries on the 25th day of every month or earlier should that date fall on a holiday or weekend; 2)Payment of N25,000 palliative to teachers since October 2023, to cushion the negative effect of the fuel subsidy removal by the Federal Government. 3)Mass promotion of qualifed secondary school tea...

  Workers in Nigeria have every cause to celebrate being alive and faced with the excruciating economic hardships in the country. The assertion was made by the chairman of the Non-Academic Staff Union and Associated Institutions(NASU) University College Hospital(UCH)branch, Ibadan, Nigeria, Comrade Kehinde Abiona. ''My own position is that anyone that is alive today has every cause to celebrate, basically for the gift of life in the present harsh economic climate in the country. Workers in Nigeria have every cause to celebrate being alive. The economy is biting very hard. However, one thing I want to appreciate the Federal Government for, is the prompt payment of the new minimum wage of N70,000. We at UCH have already received the new minimum wage for September. Comrade Abiona also appealed to the Federal Government to take urgent steps to salvage the very disturbing economic situation in the country, saying ''I appeal to the government to ensure good livin...

  Nigerian workers are increasingly giving up hopes of owning their own homes, as issues of poor salaries, unfavorable working environment and conditions linger.  Most workers have for long contended with the exploitative tendencies of house owners, who increase rents randomly. This is in addition to the soaring cost of land and building materials. Indeed, the workers have taken their destinies into their own hands when it comes to the fundamental issue of housing.  The beauty of working is to retire into one's own home, with the assistance of the government. The provision of housing loans to be paid back installmentally is desirable, but this is not the case.  Interestingly, the National Housing Fund(NHF) seems to be a method the government introduced to evade its responsibilities. The housing fund without doubt is an imposition by the Federal Government of Nigeria, in a bid to run away from its responsibilities to provide either affordable housing schemes for Niger...

The disobedience of the National Industrial Court's(NIC) judgment reinstating Comrade Bola Audu as the president of the Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeri9a(ASCSN) by men and offices of the Nigeria Police Force is a reflection of the lawlessness and indiscipline pervading the Nigerian society. Donate This assertion was made on Thursday by the former chairman of the Oyo state council of the Trade Union Congress(TUC), Comrade Andrew Emelieze. ''Some known persons are making use of the men and officers of the Nigeria Police Force to encourage lawlessness and indiscipline. There is an NIC judgment reinstating Comrade Bola Audu as the President of the Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria, but these persons in connivance and conspiracy with the police denied the reinstated president access into the union's secretariat in Abuja, despite the fact that the industrial court's judgment was presented. This is a fall out of the lawlessness and indiscipli...

  The Medical and Health Workers Union of Nigeria(MHWUN) in Oyo state decided to defer its strike action due to the intervention of the state chairman of the Nigeria Labor Congress(NLC), Comrade Kayode Martins and the Special Adviser on Labor Matters to the state Governor, Comrade Titilola Sodo. Donate This disclosure was made on Thursday by the secretary of the union, Comrade Suraju Alabi. ''We were persuaded not to resume the strike action by the NLC chairman, Comrade Kayode Martins and the S.A Labor, Comrade Titltlola Sodo. They appealed to us to be patient, explaining that a committee had been set up by the state government to look into our demands and the committee's report would soon be out. So, let us give them the benefit of the doubt. However, our members were not moved by the promise that the report would be favorable, so, we are patiently waiting for the report,'' Comrade Alabi stated.

The Association of Water Well Drilling Rig Owners & Practitioners(AWDROP) mini-congress decided to dissolve its executive as a result of its 11 years in the saddle without elections. Donate This disclosure was made on Thursday in a chat with New-Federation, by its spokesman, Mr. Richard Adeyinka. ''The mini-congress decided to dissolve the executive because elections have not been conducted in the past 11 years.  The dissolution was made at the association's mini-congress, presided over by the National Vice President Engr. Dayo Opeyemi who represented the President, who was unavoidably absent. A three-man caretaker committee was set up to run the affairs of the association and, in addition to that, an electoral committee to oversee the conduct of elections for the available executive positions. Both committees were given three months to conclude their assignments. Members of the three-man care taker committee are the Chairman, Alhaji Umar Isa, Secretary, Muhammad Otok...

Nigerians must register their displeasure over bad governance, hunger and poverty in the land. This assertion was made by a former chairman of the Oyo state council of the Trade Union Congress(TUC), Comrade Andrew Emelieze. ''Nigerians have the right to show their displeasure over bad governance, the pervasive hunger and poverty in the land. The hardships being experienced by millions of Nigerians have defied all solutions by the present administration's policies,'' Comrade Emelieze lamented.

The plans by the Federal government to initiate performance-based salaries is diversionary. This assertion was made by a former chairman of the Trade Union Congress of Nigeria(TUC) in Oyo state, Comrade Andrew Emelieze. ''The question is why is it now that workers are agitating for a living wage? It is obvious that this is another diversionary tactic by the Federal government to keep the national minimum wage down. However, so long as the incentives are in place, workers are not scared of performance-based salaries. It is to be noted that over the years, workers have been underpaid,'' Comrade Emelieze stated.

  Discrimination was the order of the day during the colonial era. In November 1947, Imoudu led others to demonstrate against racial discrimination at the Bristol Hotel, Lagos.  In the cause of the demonstration, he was physically assaulted and arrested by the Police. However, of worry, is the self-preservation approach of present day labor leaders.  At different times, he mobilized the conference of the Nigeria Bar Association (NBA) to protest against colonial rule and also workers and peasants for the independence movement led by Dr. Nnamdi Azikwe, during the nationwide tour of the National Council of Nigeria Citizens (NCNC), to raise funds and support for the Nigerian delegation to the constitutional conference in London.  The Labor wing of the NC-Democratic Grand Alliance, of which Imoudu was a member, won four seats in the Lagos Town Council elections in 1950.  In 1964, Imoudu led a general strike against the restriction of democracy, which was targeted at ...

  The need for an increase in wages and better working conditions prompted Michael Imoudu to lead a demonstration from the locomotive yard in Ebute metta, Lagos to the Government House situated at Marina, Lagos Island, Lagos. The Governor General of the Colony of Lagos, Bernard Bourdillon, noticed that any form of industrial action at that period, could disrupt railway supplies to the coalition, during the Second World War in 1941. It was on this premise he acceded to a 50 percent pay rise for the workers. This success, further inspired Imoudu to put forward more demands, among which were conversion of daily casual labor to salaried employment, Saturday work with pay, permanence of daily labor, holiday travel grant and payment of arrears to cover from 1932 to 1942 unpaid entitlements. This did not go down well with Bourdillon, who facilitated the termination of Imoudu’s appointment on 23 January 1943 and also ordered his arrest under the Nigeria General Defense Regulations, 1941. I...

  The activities of Labour leaders today are the raging debate among workers in Nigeria. Workers express sadness and worry over the way their leaders handle issues concerning them.  While the workers continue to wallow in the vicious cycle of poverty, hunger and worry, their leaders insist that they should be patient and show understanding with the government.  The agility and activeness of labor leaders of the present time is determined by the political class and not by the deteriorating condition of workers in the country.  Up till this moment, the name Michael Athokhamien Imoudu, represents a good example of a labor leader with a difference within the Nigerian territory and has continued to serve as a source of inspiration for the present set of labor leaders.  Perhaps, Imoudu was born on 7 September 1902, to a soldier who had fought in East Africa. His upbringing resulted into his fearless personality.  He did not have a fear of witches or wizards, mast...

  The chairman of the Nigeria Labor Congress in Oyo state, Comrade Kayode Martins, has called on the state Governor to urgently come to the rescue of helpless residents who are at the mercy of land-grabbers. Comrade Martins made this call on Wednesday during the celebration of International Workers' Day in Ibadan, Nigeria. ''The Oyo state Governor should save the people of Oyo state from land grabbers. The activities of the land grabbers have become unbearable for the people,'' the NLC chairman disclosed. Similarly, the chairman of the state council of the Trade Union Congress(TUC), Comrade Bosun Olabiyi commended the state government for ensuring the prompt payment of workers' salaries. However, a former chairman of the TUC in the state, Comrade Andrew Emelieze lamented that the government at all levels had dashed the hopes of workers with empty promises and ''packaging'', adding'' the tone of the celebration is an indication that worker...

  Federal workers in Nigeria have vowed to reject any amount that does not translate to a living wage. The workers made this vow through the former chairman of the Oyo state council of the  Trade Union Congress(TUC), Comrade Andrew Emelieze. ''We call for justice, we demand a decent, fair and just living wage for the federal work force. We will resist and reject anything less than a living wage. Our government should also not forget to clear all outstanding arrears owed to the federal workers. We specially call on the NLC/TUC to be very reasonable and pragmatic in their negotiation for a new national minimum wage. We are in total support of the position of the NLC/TUC for a yearly review of the national minimum wage,'' Comrade Emelieze stated.

 The two day protests called by the Nigeria Labor Congress(NLC) that was abruptly suspended only attracted the attention of the Federal government. This assertion was made by Dr. Francis Amenaghawon of the Department of Communication and Language Arts of the Faculty of Arts, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria. ''For me, the suspended protests called by the Nigeria Labor Congress had no impact on the daily lives of Nigerians because it did not change anything, but it has only drawn the attention of the Federal government to the worsening social, economic and security situation in the country,'' Dr. Amnenaghawon stated

The Federal Workers Forum has disclosed that the Forum joined the two day nationwide protest called  by the Nigeria Labor Congress(NLC) as a result of the reactionary posture of the leadership Trade Union Congress(TUC). This disclosure was made on Tuesday by the National coordinator of the Federal Workers Forum(FWF) and a former chairman of the Oyo state council of the TUC, Comrade Andrew Emelieze during the protests  at the Federal secretariat, Ikolaba, Ibadan, Oyo state, Nigeria.   Only five workers staged the peaceful protests at the entrance of the secretariat, a sizable number of other workers were at their  duty posts, while most of the workers stayed away from from work. ''To start with the TUC has no excuse whatsoever not to participate in the two day nationwide protests called by the NLC. The TUC is just giving flimsy excuses that does not hold water to justify the union's posture, and this is the major reason why the Federal Workers Forum dec...

 The 14-day ultimatum issued by the Nigeria Labor Congress(NLC) and the Trade Union Congress(TUC) is a ploy to distract Nigerians from the deteriorating situation in the country. This assertion was made by the Oyo state council of the TUC, Comrade Andrew Emelieze. ''The 14-day ultimatum issued by the NLC and TUC is the result of a conspiracy between the unions and the government to hoodwink workers and Nigerians. Nigerians are not expecting anything from the ultimatum. The leadership of both the NLC and TUC can no longer be trusted. The ultimatum is only a distraction''. ''The prayer point in the mouths of millions of Nigerians is for God to intervene in the present situation which is deteriorating on a daily basis,'' Comrade Emelieze stated.

  Federal workers who are yet to receive four months of the Federal Government's announced wage award have warned that it could affect productivity. The workers expressed reservations over the hardships and difficulties they were experiencing as a result of the non-payment of the arrears of the wage award. ''To start with, the Nigeria Labor Congress and the Trade Union Congress are dead in Nigeria, it is not possible to have functional unions, while workers are being subjected to such horrible  conditions of living because they do not have money. If the government is reluctant to clear the outstanding wage award, this could take its toll on the productivity of the workers. There is a saying that to whom much is given, much is expected, but in this instance nothing has been given. What do you expect?'' they asked.