ULC : FG chasing shadows over ‘no pay no work policy’
The United Labour Congress of Nigeria, (ULC) has kicked against the Federal Government’s decision to pursue its ‘no work, no pay’ policy, especially in the essential services’ sector of the economy.
The union described it as just an act of chasing shadows, urging government to address issues that induced strike actions in the country.
The union, however insisted that if the government always kept to its agreements by promptly paying salaries, allowances; and conditions of service are honoured and made conducive, strikes would be minimised, if not eradicated.
ULC president, Comrade Joe Ajaero, in a signed statement, called on the National Assembly to resurrect the bill criminalising non-payment of salaries in Nigeria.
“If workers’ salaries are guaranteed, the spate of strikes actionswill surely reduce; and the worries of the minister and the Federal Government would have been largely addressed,” Labour said.
While expressing shock over FG’s latest antics through the Minister of Labour and Employment, Senator Chris Ngige, labour noted: “This is very unfortunate, especially coming from a Labour Minister, who understands the objective realities under which Nigerian workers live and work.
According to the union.“We understand the frustration of the minister over the spate of industrial crises in the country, but we would have thought that the minister should have properly situated the dynamics of these issues and how they eventually led to crisis.”
‘’If he had properly queried it, he would have had a better understanding of what was the best way to engage it creatively and effectively.
“The minister and those canvassing this choice should be advised that Nigerian workers do not enjoy going on strike, as it is more tasking both physically and psychologically. The people that force Nigerian workers to go on strike should be held responsible.
‘’The minister should actually look for ways of ensuring that the employers who cheat on their workers and deny them their rights and privileges as workers are punished.
We had truly thought that the concern of the minster should have been to seek ways to ensure that those who deny workers their wages are severely punished as it is done in other countries to avert strikes which the Minister seems so worried about.
“We had thought that the Minster should be worried that workers are owed up to seven months in arrears of salaries and are still expected to work.
We are surprised that the Minister is not worried about the mass sack of workers from our workplaces without recourse to the provisions of the laws which the Ministry ought to be the custodian and protector.”.
Labour added that,‘’We are surprised that the minister is occupied with seeking ways to punish the victim of workplace abuse and deprivation, rather than seeking to stop the perpetrators.
“Very soon, we shall be forced to demand from our employers, especially the governments, payment for any time they force us to embark on strike to press home the drain that it has become to us as Nigerian workers.
‘’The minister should await this demand, as we put finishing touches to the proposal which we are still working upon. This is to dissuade the government from refusing to act timely on workplace grievances, thus forcing us to embark on these dehumanising strikes.
‘’ULC will want to use this opportunity to call on the National Assembly once again to resurrect the Bill criminalising the non-payment of salaries in Nigeria.
If workers’ salaries are guaranteed, the spate of strikes will surely reduce and the worries of the Minister and the Federal Government would have been largely addressed.
“ We are sure that being on the same page with the honourable Minister of Labour on this desire to reduce strikes, we shall invite the minister to partner with us to lobby the National Assembly to ensure that this laudable Bill is re-introduced in the floors of the NASS chambers.
‘’All sources of strikes must be seriously engaged in Nigeria and the Minister should be in the fore front while we pledge our support as he seeks to criminalise unpaid salaries in Nigeria which will help us reduce strikes.’’
Recall that the Federal Government, through the Minister of Labour and Employment, revealed that an enforcement of “no work no pay’’ doctrine will be introduced, as part of measures to restore harmony into the public service in the country.
Ngige, made this known at the end of the Federal Executive Council’s meeting at the Presidential Villa, Abuja last Wednesday.
He stated that the council’s decision to strictly observe and implement the doctrine followed the council’s acceptance of the recommendation of the report of the Technical Committee on Industrial Relation matters in the federal public service.
The committee which was chaired and co-chaired by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation and the Head of Service, was inaugurated on April 26, 2016.
Ngige had said,“The report emphasises the need for government to implement the law on “no work no pay’’. “The “No work no pay’’ is not a rule neither is it a policy.
It is a law captured in the Trade Dispute Act of the Federation, section 43, which says workers have the right to disengage their service from an employer if there is a breakdown in their discussion/negotiation.
“But, for the periods that the worker does so, the employer should not pay; and those periods are to be counted as non-pensionable times in his period of work.
“So, Council today re-emphasised that law is still and it should be brought to the knowledge of workers in Nigeria especially those in the public sector.”
