Business
MD Canvasses Repositioning Of Labour Unions
Dr Otive Igbuzor, Managing Director of African Centre for Leadership, on has advised organised labour to reposition and wake up to its responsibilities.
Igbuzor gave the advice in Lagos at a book presentation entitled: “The State of Works’ Rights in Nigeria: An examination of the Banking, Oil and Gas and Telecommunication Sectors’’.
The book, written by Prof. Funmi Adewumi of the Osun State University and Dr Adebimpe Adenugba of the University of Ibadan, was sponsored by the Friedrich Ebert Foundation
He said the book would educate employers in complying with existing labour laws as well as help employees to enforce their rights.
According to Igbuzor, who reviewed the 91-page book, the quality of the workforce determines the development and growth of a country’s economy.
“Workers must work in dignity and their rights must not be abused.
“In spite of the challenges faced by trade union organisations, they can defend and protect the rights of workers,’’ he said.
Mr Babatunde Ogun, President, Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN), said that non-implementation of laws and policies on workers rights had been a challenge.
Ogun further said that the negative attitude of management to workers’ rights, often demonstrated by intimidation and harassment of employees, must be discouraged in all its ramifications.
“If the Federal Government had been able to implement some of its policies on workers, their rights would not be abused,’’ he said.
The union leader said it was regrettable that labour standard had been lowered in the country as a way of attracting foreign investors in the oil and gas industry as well as other sectors.
He said that laws and policies that impact negatively on workers in the oil sector were being challenged to make the government pragmatic in the implementation of the laws.
Also, Mr John Odah, General Secretary of NLC, urged the unions to merge to form a stronger force to fight against anti labour practices and ensure that workers rights are respected.
He said the oil and gas sector as well as the telecommunication and the banking sector were a major part of the economy that must be well managed to ensure continued growth.
Business
NAFDAC Decries Circulation Of Prohibited Food Items In markets …….Orders Vendors’ Immediate Cessation Of Dealings With Products
Importers, market traders, and supermarket operators have therefore, been directed to immediately cease all dealings in these items and to notify their supply chain partners to halt transactions involving prohibited products.
The agency emphasized that failure to comply will attract strict enforcement measures, including seizure and destruction of goods, suspension or revocation of operational licences, and prosecution under relevant laws.
The statement said “The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has raised an alarm over the growing incidence of smuggling, sale, and distribution of regulated food products such as pasta, noodles, sugar, and tomato paste currently found in markets across the country.
“These products are expressly listed on the Federal Government’s Customs Prohibition List and are not permitted for importation”.
NAFDAC also called on other government bodies, including the Nigeria Customs Service, Nigeria Immigration Service(NIS) Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON), Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Nigeria Shippers Council, and the Nigeria Agricultural Quarantine Service (NAQS), to collaborate in enforcing the ban on these unsafe products.
