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Wage Increase: Delta Workers Shelve Strike

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14 years ago

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The Joint Negotiating Council (JNC) of Delta State Public Service has suspended its strike action, one day into the indefinite strike called over some issues with the State Government.

The chairman of the Council (Union Side) Comrade Tony Toki, who announced the suspension of the strikes Saturday  shortly after a meeting with the State Governor, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan, directed workers to resume work on Monday.

Workers in the state had embarked on strike over non payment of the new harmonised and consolidated public service salary structure (relativity salary), contributory pension scheme, and failure by the state government to absorb casual workers among other issues.

The chairman disclosed that a committee has been set up to work out the details of the agreement, but warned that the strike will resume if government and the negotiating team failed to reach an agreement.

His words “we have suspended the strike and workers in the state should resume work on Monday”

Speaking in the same vein the vice chairman of the Delta State Public Service Joint Negotiating Council Comrade Oweijifogha Menone said the strike was suspended to allow Government and labour meet and come out with positive action.

Comrade Menone said the period will be used to work out the nitty gritty and document properly the agreement reached.

He commended the workforce for demonstrating solidarity, maturity and peaceful disposition towards the strike.

The vice chairman also expressed appreciation to the State Government for its labour friendly attitude.

Government’s official activity in the Delta State public service had been paralysed as workers in the state embarked on an indefinite strike action as schools, public offices, including ministries and parastatals were closed down.

Delta State governor, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan had complained that funds accruing to the state was meagre and would seek for funds from the capital market to meet the new salary structure for workers in the state.

“I don’t know what to do. The funds coming to the state are not enough. It is even worse now that salaries are being increased at will. When I became governor in 2007, the wage bill was not up to N3 billion but now, for the state and its 25 LGAs to function, there must be a review of the formula, so that we can pay the new salary.”

The workers’ strike action, which was indefinite, commenced on Friday 4th March 2011, following failure of the state governor, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan or his agents to meet with labour unions to address the lingering and unresolved issues of workers’ welfare in the state.

The JNC/JAC statement had said, “We wish to refer to the various fruitless efforts made by the Delta State Public Service Joint Negotiating Council (JNC) to meet with His Excellency, the Governor with a view to resolving the grievances of workers which border on a number of welfare issues and to inform His Excellency the Governor that JNC has met and finally resolved that the Delta State Government should meet the demands of the workers of the Delta State public service.”

The Joint Negotiating Council (JNC) had earlier issued an ultimatum to the Governor of Delta State, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan to hasten the processes of ensuring that the demands of every worker in the state public service are met within 14 days from Friday 18th February 2011.

The ultimatum issued by nine affiliate unions warned that “in the event of the state Government’s inability to meet the demands, JNC will not be able to restrain the restive workers from proceeding on an indefinite strike action with effect from Friday 4th March 2011″.

The suspended strike action was called at the instance of the Joint Action Congress (JAC) and the Joint Negotiating Council (JNC) of labour unions in the state, which include the Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria (ASCSN), Nigeria Civil Service Union (NCSU), Amalgamated Union of Public Corporations Civil Service Technical and Recreational Employees (AUPCCTRE), Agricultural and Allied Employees Union (AAEU), Medical and Health Workers Union of Nigeria (MHWUN), National Union of Printing Publishing and Paper Products Workers (NUPPPPROW), National Union of Civil Service Secretarial and Allied Workers (NUCSSAW), Radio Television Theatre and Arts Workers Union (RATTAWU) as well as the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ).

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NPA Assures On Staff Welfare 

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1 week ago

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June 27, 2025

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The Managing Director, Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Dr. Abubakar Dantsoho, has said the management will continue to accompany its port infrastructure  and equipment  modernization drive  with the development of the welfare of its personnel.
Dantsoho made the disclosure recently while responding to the commendation by the Maritime Workers Union (MWUN) and the senior Staff Association of Statutory Corporations and Government-Owned Companies (SSASGOC) on the  clearing  of the age-long problem of employee stagnation, when the union paid him a courtesy visit at the Authority’s headquarters in Lagos.
A Statement by NPA’s General Manager Corporate & Strategic Communications, Mr. Ikechukwu Onyemekara, quoted Dantsoho as saying,  “our Port infrastructure and equipment modernization drive will go hand-in-hand with continuous staff welfare improvement”.
The NPA MD disclosed that human capital development constitutes the key strategy for creating and sustaining superior performance under his watch, adding that “talent development constitutes a critical success factor for the actualization of the big hairy audacious goals we have set for ourselves especially in the area of Port competitiveness.
“The only way we can meet and indeed exceed stakeholders’ expectations is to deepen the competencies of our human resources assets and boosting their morale.”
Speaking further, Dantsoho commended the Honourable Minister of Marine & Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola, for approving the strategic proposal of the Dantsoho-led Management team that solved the over a decade-long problem of lack of promotion that had fuelled industrial disharmony.
“I must specially appreciate our amiable Minister for graciously approving the multi-pronged stratagem we deployed that cleared all outstanding cases of employee stagnation by conducting examinations in one fell swoop and instituted timelines to forestall a recurrence of such anomaly”, he sad.
Speaking on behalf of the joint maritime labour unions, the President  of Senior Staff Association of Statutory Corporations & Government-Owned Companies (SSASCGOC), Comrade Bodunde stated, “In addition to clearance of the backlog of stagnated promotions, we also wish to express our appreciation for the increase in productivity bonuses, provision of end-of-year welfare packages for staff, and the revision of the Financial Guide to the Condition of Service, which now addresses our members’ concerns about inflationary pressures.”
Nkpemenyie Mcdominic, Lagos
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ANLCA Chieftain Emerges FELCBA’s VP

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1 week ago

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June 27, 2025

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National Secretary of the Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA), Elder Olumide Fakanlu, has been elected Vice President of the Federation of ECOWAS Licensed Customs Brokers Association (FELCBA).
The election took place during the FELCBA Congress, held from Tuesday, June 17th to Thursday, June 19th, 2025, in Freetown, Sierra Leone.
Fakanlu’s emergence as Vice President marks a significant achievement for Nigeria within the regional customs brokerage community.
Apart from Fakanlu, Secretary of the Seme Chapter of ANLCA, Austin Nwosu, was also elected, securing the role of Secretary of Relations with Institutions.
The Nigerian delegation played an active role in the congress, with Michael Ebeatu nominated as a member of the electoral officer team, ensuring a fair and transparent election process.
The three-day congress concluded with delegates undertaking a visit to the Sierra Leone Port, offering insights into the host nation’s maritime operations, followed by a recreational trip to the Tokeh Beach.
The newly elected executives are expected to lead FELCBA in its efforts to harmonize customs brokerage practices, promote trade facilitation, and advocate for the interests of licensed customs brokers across the ECOWAS sub-region.
Nkpemenyie Mcdominic, Lagos
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NSC, Police Boost Partnership On Port Enforcement 

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1 week ago

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June 27, 2025

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In a bid to enhance more enforcement in the nation’s Port, the Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC) has reaffirmed its commitment to stronger inter-agency collaboration with the Nigeria Police Force (NPF).
The Council said the collaboration is aimed at enhancing stronger enforcement, compliance and improve operational efficiency across Nigeria’s ports.
Executive Secretary/Chief Executive Officer of  NSC, Dr. Pius Akutah, made this known during a visit to the  Inspector-General of Police, Dr. Kayode Adeolu Egbetokun, at the Force Headquarters, Abuja.
The visit, which he said, focused on strengthening institutional synergy, comes in the wake of growing responsibilities for the NSC under the newly created Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy.
Akutah emphasized the critical role of security agencies in supporting port operations and ensuring regulatory compliance.
He called for the posting of police officers to assist the Council’s monitoring and enforcement teams at key port locations including Lagos, Warri, Onne, Port Harcourt, and Calabar.
“The posting will complement the activities of our revived task teams and enhance our ability to enforce standards across the maritime logistics chain”, he said.
Earlier, the Inspector-General of Police, Dr. Egbetokun, assured the Council of the Force’s readiness to continue supporting the growth of the maritime sector.
The IGP acknowledged that compliance enforcement is essential to the successful implementation of Nigeria’s Blue Economy objectives.
“The NSC and NPF are expected to deepen collaboration in the months ahead, with a shared focus on building a secure, efficient, and competitive port environment”, to the IGP emphasized.
Chinedu Wosu
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