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2011: Perspective On Organised Labour

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The year 2011 has come and gone but the memories and landmark events that shaped the year linger on in the minds of Nigerians on the activities of the organised labour.

The organised labour is the umbrella body of the labour out to champion better welfare packages for workers both in the private and public sectors.

The organised labour always present the posture of militancy in the struggle for the protection of workers rights where the authorities concerned become evasive and objectionable to the plight of the workers.

The purpose of every trade union therefore is to provide a forum for concerted action to fight as a team for those things that are commonly desired by the entire working population and to aid members in times of crisis.

The rise of modern trade unionism in Nigeria was the formation of the Nigerian Civil Service Union in 1912 basically to promote the welfare and interest of the local members of the union.

The organised labour comprising of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress (TUC) with their affiliate Unions are today an advocacy institution for workers welfare, good governance, increase wages and better conditions of service.

Passage Of Minimum Wage Bill.

The year under review witnessed the passage of the minimum wage bill and the organised labour insistence for its implementation prior to the passage of the Minimum Wage Bill, of N18,000. Salary of the least worker in Nigeria was N7,500 as compaed to other countries and International labour Organization (ILO) standards.

Labour fought for increase in wages of workers to comply with the international standard and graciously, before the Sixth National Assembly wound up plenary session in May 2011, the Senate and House of Representatives respectively ratified the National Minimum Wage Bill

The Bill makes it mandatory for every employer of labour in the country to pay a wage that is not less than N18,000 per month to every worker in their establishment.

The Bill was given expeditious passage in the two chambers and promptly signed into law by President Goodluck Jonathan. The new minimum wage bill essentially jacked up the old minimum wage from N7,500.

The State Chairman Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) Chief (Comrade) Chris Oruge said, “This is a major achievement in 2011 on the part of the labour for the workers, certainly we are awaiting the effective implementation of this new minimum wage as some state Governors have failed to implement extant law”.

The labour Leader added that Nigerians should discountenance the agitation of the state Governors for fuel subsidy removal before the minimum wage implementation.

Interestingly, the act also covered the private sector employees as it stipulates in section 2 (1) that “as from the commencement of this Act it shall be the duty of every employer to pay a wage not less than the National Minimum Wage of N18,000 per month to  workers under their establishment.

The bill equally provides for a revised national minimum wage while stipulating a realistic penalty regime for violation of its provisions.

On the part of the state Governors, for the new national minimum wage to be implemented effectively and states pay accordingly the fuel subsidy must be removed, and revenues save from such subsidy removal distributed and shared to the states in order for the states to effectively implement the new minimum wage of N18,000.

Obviously, this is part of the reason of the present Labour/Government state for imbroglio in the country.

NLC Election

The Nigeria Labour Congress both at the National/State levels conducted its election for the national officers and state officers.

Comrade Abdulwaheed Omar was re-elected the National President of NLC and other officials. In the state, Comrade Chris Oruge was re-elected the state Chairman of NLC for another term of four years.

The elections threw new challenges of leadership at the organised labour especially the NLC in the preceding year.

Shortly after the national delegates conference, president Nigeria Labour Congress, Comrade Omar sacked the then NLC Secretary – General Comrade John Odah.

The sacking of Comrade John Odah opens new frontier of leadership challenge within the organised labour-NLC.

A nascent group called the “Integrity Group”, withdrawn its support for the leadership of the Nigeria Labour Congress.

The Acting Secretary General of NLC Comrade Owei Lakemfa  and Trade Union Congress President Comrade Peter Esele, had accused members of the integrity group of being government agents.

The integrity group felt Comrade John Odah’s removal was an injustice done to him. As a result, the labour house is divided with the integrity group confronting the Nigeria Labour Congress leadership on topical national issues.

The Integrity Group demonstrated this internal crisis within the  movement by faulting the NLC’s leadership on their opposition to subsidy removal.

The group asked Nigerians to demand explanation from the organized labour leadership of what has happened to the Labour struggle “that NLC steeled in the furnace of that struggle in the last quarter of a century, is today a footnote in that struggle and campaign for subsidy removal”.

However, the organised labour in the preceding year has remained streadfast, courageous, outspoken and aggressive in protection of the welfare of the workers and the downtrodden over government policies considered unilaterally and unfriendly to the welfare of the people.

The organised labour under the leadership of Nigeria Labour Congress President, Comrade Abdulwaheed Omar, and Trade Union Congress (TUC) Comrade Peter Esele must stand up to defend the rights of Nigerians on good governance, transparency, accountability, join other anti-corruption agencies to fight corruption, engaged in meaningful dialogue with the government, respect constituted authorities and seek ways for the sustenance of the economy with the government.

 

Philip Okparaji

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Banking/ Finance

Job Searching Tips for Recent College Graduates

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Breaking into any field isn’t easy, especially now when so many companies have taken a hit from COVID and are in the process of changing their operations. New graduates are likely going to face intense competition in a job market filled with recently unemployed people, many of whom have serious credentials and work experience that makes them viable candidates. Downsizing on a more practical front includes reducing the number of entry-level employees, which could make a college graduate with no experience feel like they’ll never get hired.

Although you do have a six-month grace period to start paying your student loans, it’s natural to worry what you’ll do if you don’t find a good paying job by then. In the event you are still unable to lock down a stable income, you may consider refinancing your student loans to save money. Refinancing can modify the interest rate and terms of your loan to make them more manageable, especially if you’re not earning enough to even be financially secure. Before you worry about loans, though, here are three things to keep in mind while you’re applying to jobs.

Focus on Skills, Not Job Descriptions

If you don’t have any relevant work experience, focus on what you know how to do, instead. The goal of a resume isn’t to show employers what you’ve done but rather what you can do for them. While prior experience is always great, you shouldn’t let it deter you from really selling yourself as a talented, eager candidate. In the event your experience was not in a related field, try to draw out any details from your responsibilities that carry over. Align your resume to each job’s specific needs, which will drastically improve your chances of getting a callback. Avoid turning in the same resume to different employers; even if you only change the wording on a few lines, it shows you care enough to read what an employer wants.

Don’t Say No to Internships

You may think interning is for undergrads, but it actually might be your ticket to a full-time position. Interning isn’t for everyone, and if the gig is unpaid, it certainly won’t work for a lot of people. But most internships function more like temporary jobs, which means you are paid hourly or given a fixed amount for working a set amount of time.For recent college graduates, internships can provide the experience, skills and connections they need to qualify for positions in the field of choice. You may also find a mentor in one of the company’s employees who can give you insider knowledge and teach you things that you’d never have found out on your own. Many jobs also promote interns into employees if they perform well enough. So, it may not be your first choice, but if you’re looking for work and considering a part-time job anyway, it’s worth considering.

Stay Connected to Your Fellow Alumni

Your university’s alumni community will allow you to network with other graduates who have found work in your desired field. They can offer you tips, provide some sound advice and possibly even recommend you for positions in their own company. Sometimes, job recruiters even check out alumni groups at universities to find candidates that are available for immediate start. Make that point clear whenever you mention you’re looking for a job.

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Business

The inflation rate in Nigeria on an all-time high

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Inflation is a rise in the price levels in relation to goods available leading to endless fall in an economy’s purchasing power over a period of time. It measures the proportion of the rate at which the normal price level of goods and services rise over time in an economy. Nigeria has been experiencing increased levels of inflation since the pandemic broke.

 

The world is currently fighting COVID-19 that has greatly affected many countries and the world at large, that has measures put in place to suppress the virus. Not only did these measures help curb the spread of the novel virus, but it has also reduced the performance of many economies, businesses and health systems of countries. Currently, more than 3,000,000 people got infected worldwide, with almost over 220,414 people dead. 44 people died in Nigeria from the virus with 255 recoveries. This has had a drastic effect on Nigeria’s economy, which saw its peak in March when the first case was recorded. In March, the CPI recorded a 0.84% rise in month-on-month inflation rate in Nigeria, which was a 0.5% increase from the previous month.

 

The inflation rate in Nigeria has continually been on an increase from month-on-month and year-on-year rates and several financial experts in Nigeria express their concerns about it and are calling for the currency’s stabilization. A majority of forex traders are particularly unaware about the state of the currency at a given period of time, especially beginners who rely on their brokers to update them on events plaguing the markets. The issues with FX broker comparison is that some brokers are more analytical than others when it comes to delivering information to their customers. While some brokers would prefer analyzing news before delivering it to a beginner trader, others just send out the news to their clients, without ensuring that the implications of the news are fully understood.

 

The average change in the percentage in both rural and urban areas in CPI of one year, ending in March 2020, over the CPI for the previous year till March 2019 was 11.62%. This shows a 0.08 increase rate of over 11.54% recorded in February 2020 for the same average.

 

In March 2020, the inflation rate in urban regions increased by 12.93% YoY; which was a 0.08 increase rate from 12.85% YoY change recorded in February 2020. With regards to the MoM rate, urban regions list increased by 0.88%, which is a 0.06 increase rate point from 0.82% recorded in earlier months.

 

This MoM development is generally caused by the prices of food to other consumer goods. Additionally, in March 2020, the inflation rate in the rural areas also increased by 0.03%, highlighting 11.64% from 11.61% in February 2020, which significantly contributed to the index prices of food. Simultaneously, there was a 0.80% increase in indices, at an additional 0.04 rate point from the 0.76% increase recorded earlier that month.

 

 

Statistics show that there was a rise in food prices that were brought about by an increase in costs of Potatoes, sweet potato, yams, fish, oils and fats, meat, fruits, bread and oats, and vegetables. There is currently volatility in the prices of all agricultural products, with the inflation rate steady at 9.98%, which is a 0.25% increase compared to the 9.73% recorded in March.

 

The highest inflation levels in Nigeria were recorded in bicycle prices, passenger transportation by sea and rates increased, medical services, medication, health services in general, and Major family equipment whether electronic or not. The most recent report suggests a quick rise in the prices of all products and services in the country, which was caused by the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown and the continuation of the pandemic. It is worth noting that the most recent inflation rate implies that the buying capacity of customers has decreased.

 

On Tuesday morning, Nigeria’s Consumer Prices Index, also known as inflation massively increased in August 2020, by 13.22% as per information delivered by the National Bureau of Statistics. This indicates the twelfth continuous rise since September 2019 and the most noteworthy in 28 months reported by a business examination shows that information from the NBS August 2020 expansion.

 

 

 

 

 

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Business

Ugandan Appointed Managing Director In Nigeria

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Ringier One Africa Media has announced that Hilda Kabushenga Kragha, who was the Jobberman Nigeria CEO, as the new Managing director of ROAM Africa jobs.

 

ROAM connects Africans to opportunities. They empower people through transparency and are transforming markets with high technology. ROAM embraces diversity and it’s their key to success. Since the diverse backgrounds are driving them to innovations, they seek and hire people from all walks of life, regardless of gender, ethnicity, or religion. ROAM creates a business with real people.

 

Why do they stay at the highest level all the time? Because of teamwork and most importantly a passion for what they do. They believe that shaping future leaders ( as they accept MBA internship candidates ) with externship programs on an ongoing basis will lead to success.

 

ROAM Africa’s job brands are dominant recruitment solutions platforms in Africa, Including BrighterMonday in East Africa and Jobberman in West Africa (Focusing on Nigeria and Ghana). Hilda will take over from Kwaku Agbesi, who chose to fully focus on his role as CEO of Jobberman Ghana. In the future, he will give his full attention to the big potential of his home country.

 

Hilda joined Jobberman Nigeria as CEO in June 2019. Under her leadership, the brand has strengthened its position as Nigeria’s largest job platform with over 2 million job seekers and 68.000 employees.

 

Taking her new role in the company, she said that she was very excited to take her role within the ROAM family. Since the ROAM has been the leading industry in the market, with the power of technology, Hilda Kabushenga promises to increase workplaces and productivity by supporting employers to place them in the right places for them. With Africa’s growing youth population and employment opportunities, ROAM Africa is promising to bring transparency to Africa’s labor markets. This attitude is promising for Africans to work in a healthy environment, and it goes without saying that it will improve their livelihoods.

 

CEO of ROAM Africa, Clemens Weitz added that Hilda’s passion and concise vision will make her the ideal person for the role and a fantastic addition to the ExCo team. She really brings a wealth of experience whenever she goes. He also added that he is especially proud that the ExCo team is now chaired by female leaders, which is certainly an exception in Africa.

 

Hilda’s main focus will be to remain in Nigeria until the end of the year. She will start her job in January 2021.

Economy of Africa

The economy of Africa consists of the trading, industry, human resources, continent, and agriculture. As of 2019, 1.3 billion people were living in 54 countries of Africa. Africa is a very rich continent within resources.

 

Africa has been working hard lately to deepen intra-continent trade and integration. That’s why this country has the potential to grow and develop its impact on global reforms. Yet, for many African countries implementing trade facilitation reforms will require overcoming challenges such as supply constraints and slow economic growth. Uganda is slowly becoming a center of FX trading, because of the perfect space for investors to take a keen interest in trading deals.

Despite the global pandemic, more and more African traders are joining the forex market. The increase is also opening up new opportunities for investors in financial markets. African traders are exploring different options of trading since it is becoming the new era’s most popular field nowadays.

In that sense, many Africans are searching for a list of best forex brokers in Uganda 2020, since Uganda is already trading with countries like Kenya, South Sudan, Rwanda, Congo, Dem, Rep, and Italy.

The path to economic diversification

The debate on the benefits of trading has dominated this decade. Africa has cast its vote for better trade with itself. In march of 2018 African countries signed a landmark trade agreement, the African Continental free trade area Agreement (AfCFTA), which commits countries to remove tariffs on 90 percent of goods and progressively liberalize trades in services. This agreement created a single African market with over a billion consumers with a total GDP of over $3 trillion. Since Africa is one of the biggest trading areas in the world, people are more and more connected with their lives to trading and are trying to make their life qualities better with trading.

 

AfCFTA is focusing on trading in goods and services, investments, intellectual property rights, and competition policy.

 

Can Africa do better with trading? With proper and trustworthy people, absolutely. A total of African exports have been increasing by about 10% from 1995 to around 17% for now.

 

ECA considers that African countries trade with themselves creating more knowledge about transfers and creates more value.

 

Trade diversification of exports is vital and it allows the countries to build resilience to movements in demand, due to economic downturns in importing countries and their price dips.

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