TUC to Government: Don’t Dare to Down-Size, Reduce Cost of Governance Now

The TUC that made the call in a communique at the end of National Executive Council(NEC) meeting in Ikeja , said cutting down cost of governance is imperative before contemplating any austerity measures.

“The Council observed that over the years Nigerians have been calling for reduction in the cost of governance across board, and restating that the level of wastage and corruption in the system is becoming alarming and injurious to the system. The Council also noted that the direct cost of maintaining political office holders and their retinue of unnecessary aides is outrageous.

“The Council therefore calls on the federal and state governments to look critically into this issue and take logical corrective actions before even contemplating imposition of any austerity measures. The Council further warns that any attempt to down-size or “right-size” will be vehemently resisted by Nigerian workers.

The NEC also perused recent devaluation of the Naira, describing it as too hasty and deliberate. It called on the Federal Government to moderate the continued devaluation of the Naira, since its impact is already telling negatively on the real sector and all other facets of the Nigerian economy.

It called on all politicians to play politics and contest elections according to the rules and avoid heating up the polity unnecessarily just months to the 2015 general election.

“The Council noted that there must be winners and losers in every election scenario, and therefore advocates gallantry in the losers and magnanimity in victory by the winners because we are one and one only”, the NEC said.

On the Chibok girls, NEC expressed its dissatisfaction over inability of the Federal Government to secure the release of the Chibok girls. It therefore urges the Federal Government to intensify efforts to release them and save these girls and their families the psychological trauma they must have passed through
See full text below.

C0MMUNIQUE ISSUED AT THE END OF THE MEETING OF THE NATIONAL EXECUTIVE COUNCIL (NEC) OF THE TRADE UNION CONGRESS OF NIGERIA (TUC) HELD AT THE LAGOS AIRPORT HOTEL, IKEJA ON SATURDAY, 13TH DECEMBER 2014.

The National Executive Council (NEC) of the Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC) met on Saturday, 13th December 2014 at the Lagos Airport Hotel, Ikeja.
The NEC-in-session exhaustively deliberated on the state of the nation and the challenges confronting the labour movement, and decided as follows:

1. Devaluation of the Naira: The NEC- in-session saw the recent devaluation of the naira as too hasty and deliberate and therefore calls on the Federal Government to moderate the continued devaluation of the naira, especially as its impact is already telling negatively on the real sector and all other facets of the Nigerian economy.
2. NUPENGASSAN Industrial Action: The NEC in session while noting NUPENGASSAN decision to embark on industrial action with effect from Monday, December 15, 2014 expressed concern on the reported attitude and response of the concerned management and government agencies to the barrage of national issues, oil and gas policy and institutional issues as well as cases of unfair labour practices as articulated at the meeting.

The NEC in session noted with serious concern the strong efforts made by NUPENG/PENGASSAN to internally resolve the reported grievance issues at the instance of the Honourable Minister of Petroleum Resources and other intervening agencies which the concerned managements severally frustrated. The NEC in session therefore urge government to attend to all the reported issues as a matter of urgent National importance to avoid the backlash on the Nigerian public.

3. Pump Price of Refined Petroleum Products: The Congress expresses dismay that the prices of refined petroleum products has remained unchanged despite the significant fall of crude oil prices which the CBN Governor acknowledges as a steady one.
It therefore called on the Government to direct the appropriate Agency to respond by adjusting the pump price of petroleum products which will ameliorate the impact on the purchasing power by the devaluation of the naira.

4. Petroleum Industry Bill: The Congress is weary over the continued uncertainties on the passage of the PIB in the predictable future which is seemingly affecting the spate of dis-investment and downsizing of operations in the industry. The Congress is worried that further delays in the passage is inimical to the Nigeria economy in the face of the oil discoveries and attractions by the economics that have newly discover oil and willing to attract investors with more concessions and waivers that could make Nigeria to be uncompetitive. It therefore urge the Federal Government to expedite action in passing the PIB into law in earnest failing which the Congress would be left with no other option than to embark on industrial action to press for its passage.

5. Nigeria Content Policy: The Congress commends the initiative of the Federal Government on the local content policy which ultimate aim is to effectively develop the entrepreneurial and manpower capacity and expertise of Nigerians .It however noted that the process of integrating the human and material local content into the facets of the industries leave much to be desired, more so that since the policy was enacted in 2010, there has been no yard stick to measure the progress being made and the gaps to be corrected including the intervention that may be required at necessary intervals.

The Congress further notes that the entrepreneur that are being empowered are compromising employment standards and flagrantly breaching workplace rights and decent work principles with intimidation and victimization.

The NEC-in-session call on the relevant arms of Government and its agencies to effectively monitor and ensure compliance with extant national and labour laws to foster justice, fair play and due process on employment and lanour matters.

6. Gratuity Scheme: The NEC-in-session condemns in very strong terms the prosecuted plan by employers in the Private Sector through the Nigeria Employers Consultative Association (NECA) to scrap or abolish Gratuity Benefits from the existing Retirement Benefits in the Country, and also call for the re-emplacement of Gratuity in the public sector. The Union resolves to fight with all legitimate means at disposal to ensure the emplacement and the continued existence of Gratuity Scheme in our industrial relations system.

7. Payment of Salary In The Civil Service: The NEC in session frowns at cases of non payment of salary to thousands of Civil Servants since October, 2014 without any justifiable reason. The Council recalled that the same problem happened late last year when many Public Servants celebrated Christmas with empty stomach as a result of refusal of Government to pay them their salary. The Council called on Federal Government to immediately settle all arrears of salaries owned affected workman in the interest of industrial peace.

8. Illegal Recruitment In The Public Service: The NEC in session condemns in its entirety the proven cases of illegal recruitment now prevalent in the Public Service. The Council noted that this ill-advised practice is killing the morale of serving public servants who are made to report to people who were their juniors in school. The Council then advised very thoroughly that henceforth recruitment into the public service should be strictly guided by the Public Service Rules, Scheme of Service and Guidelines for Appointment, Promotion and Discipline in the Public Service.

9. Casualisation: The NEC in session views with utmost disgust the recurring trend of casualisation in our industrial relations system, and considers it as anti-labour and does not promote decent labour and should be discouraged.

10. Power Sector: The Council notes that there had not been any appreciable change in the Power Sector, one year after its privatization, coupled with the fact that new investors are involved in unfair labour practice of emasculating its vision thrust complicating the situation in the sector.

For significant progress to be felt in the Power Sector, the Council calls on the Government to as a matter of urgency remove all encumbrances inhibiting the functioning of all companies in the sectors as well as prevailing on such companies to desist from unfair labour practices.

11. Cost of Governance And The Nigerian Economy: The Council observed that over the years Nigerians have been calling for reduction in the cost of governance across board, and restating that the level of wastage and corruption in the system is becoming alarming and injurious to the system. The Council also noted that the direct cost of maintaining political office holders and their retinue of unnecessary aides is outrageous. The Council therefore calls on the federal and state governments to look critically into this issue and take logical corrective actions before even contemplating imposition of any austerity measures. The Council further warns that any attempt to down-size or “right-size” will be vehemently resisted by Nigerian workers.

12. Insecurity in the country: The NEC-in-session is deeply concerned over the spate of killings, kidnapping and insurgencies in some parts of the country, and urges the Federal Government to take drastic action to arrest the situation and save the nation and its people from fear. In addition, the Council calls for the implementation of broad based social protection policy in line with the International Convention on Social Protection Floor.

13.Representation of TUC in Tripartite Bodies: The NEC-in-session reiterates its condemnation of the Government’s continued failure to include TUC representation in the National Labour Advisory Council (NLAC). The NEC frowns at the situation whereby labour laws are reviewed by the NLAC without the needful participation of senior staff as represented by TUC. The NEC-in-session warns that TUC will no longer tolerates the violation of the trade union rights of its members to have proper representation, bargain collectively and be consulted on labour matters in the country.

14. 2015 General Elections: The Council calls on all politicians to play politics and contest elections according to the rules and avoid heating up the polity unnecessarily as we prepare for the 2015 general elections. The Council noted that there must be winners and losers in every election scenario, and therefore advocate gallantry in the losers and magnanimity in victory by the winners because we are one and one only.

15. Chibok Girls: The NEC-in-session expresses its dissatisfaction over the apparent inability of the Federal Government to secure the release of the Chibok girls. It therefore urges the Federal Government to intensify efforts to release them and save these girls and their families the psychological trauma they must have passed through.

16. Strike in the Health Sector: The NEC-in-session is highly disappointed at the docile, lackadaisical manner in which the Government is handling the on-going strike action in the health sector. It therefore urges the federal and state government to find lasting solution to the contentious issues in the sector.

17. Human Rights: The Council also calls on government at all levels to work assiduously towards improving the overall human rights record in the country and reduce the increasing impunity in the polity.

18. Educational Sector: One of the major functions for the masses failure in Secondary Education in Nigeria is the absence of Establishment of a regulatory Commission for Secondary Education as it was done for other levels of Nigerian Education System (NUC for University, NBTE for Polytechnics and Monotechnics, NCCE for Colleges of Education and UBEC for Basic Education) The Council call on Federal Government to Implement Act of Parliament CAP 74 of 1999 (Establishment of National Secondary Education Commission) urgently to revamp Education from total collapse.

Comrade Bobboi Bala Kaigama
President

Comrade (Barrister) Musa Lawal
Secretary General