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CONTENTS
1. Cosatu to tackle gender discrimination
2. Farmworkers earn as little as 14 cents and live with pigs
3. Retrenched Umgeni staff to get help
4. Nedbank's Manager Direct considers layoffs
5. Ending poverty lies in people's hands
6. Namibian textile company mum on suspended workers
7. Ghana Trades Union Congress (TUC) joins the fray
8. Nigerian strike called off
9. 14 killed as Nigerian fuel strike gets violent
10. Nigerian police deny killing ten protesters in general strike
11. Nigeria Labour Congress berates Trade Union Congress stance on strike
12. Senior civil servants support Trade Union Congress (TUC) over suspensi=
on of strike
13. Labour meets on govt's N34 offer
14. Thugs in Nigeria ride fuel riots wave
15. Kidnapped expatriate oil workers sited in Burutu
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The Star, 8 July
Cosatu to tackle gender discrimination
By Mziwakhe Hlangani
Women earn anything between 30 and 60% less than men.
This is according to a study by the National Labour and Economic
Development Institute on gender equality.
And women were even prevented by trade unions from playing a
meaningful role, it was disclosed at a three-day Cosatu conference
on gender equality in Johannesburg.
Cosatu general secretary Zwelinzima Vavi said yesterday: "Their
skills and responsibilities are not recognised. Women's jobs
continue to be undervalued, even in government services, retail and
domestic sectors.
"African women bear the worst brunt of an unemployment rate that
reaches 53%."
Trade union bargaining also ignored women's concerns, to the
extent that the wage gap between men and women had increased.
The conference on gender equality, convened by Cosatu affiliates,
also noted that most women were employed in informal-sector
jobs. These jobs were characterised by poor working conditions
and a lack of benefits.
Unscrupulous employers exploited women and enforced gender
discrimination in order to undercut the wages that men received.
Discrimination against women was the biggest problem in trade
unions and in the workplace, Vavi said.
"Women remain stuck in traditional positions in labour unions as
deputies," he said.
Vavi also pointed out that union affiliates failed to evenly distribute
resources for the implementation of gender-policy programmes.
To break new ground, Vavi announced that Cosatu would adopt a
quota system to deal with the problem of poor representation of
women in leadership positions.
Cosatu deputy president Joe Nkosi said the concept of gender was
often misunderstood and misused to undermine the development of
strong female leaders.
The federation would also review pay equity within its affiliates.
"This points to the need for a concerted approach to employment
equity as part of developing a common labour market for the labour
movement," Nkosi added.
http://www.thestar.co.za/index.php?fSectionId=3D129&fArticleId=3D184125
African Eye News Service, 7 July
Farmworkers earn as little as 14 cents and live with pigs
Sizwe Samayende
Ermelo: Labour inspectors discovered an alleged 'slave camp' last
week where farm labourers earn only 14c over three months and
share their environment with pigs.
The inspectors swooped on Gideon Buhrmann's De Emigratie farm
near Ermelo on Thursday as a follow-up to complaints by workers
and councillors that about 60 workers, mostly from impoverished
areas in North West province, were treated as serfs.
"It's a very appalling situation," said Ermelo labour inspector Zweli
Kubheka. "The employer makes unlawful deductions for food and
rent. He has a shop on the farm, which allows the workers to buy
on credit and in the end some take only 14c home."
He said the workers were paid after three months when they went
to visit home.
He added that pigs roamed around the workers' compound where
conditions were so cramped that each room had twelve beds
accommodating men, women and children with no privacy.
"Compliance with any labour laws and regulations on that farm is
zero," said Kubheka.
Burhmann, who is otherwise known for declaring a fight against
land and agriculture minister Thoko Didiza on the right of labourers
to be buried on farms, failed to return messages left at his farm's
office on Friday and again on Monday.
De Emigratie worker, Ezekiel Kolobi, said the workers were paid
about R400 a month when he started working there in 2001.
Things went wrong in 2002, he said, when the national labour
department started taking initiatives to introduce the minimum
wage for agricultural workers. Labour minister Membathisi
Mdladlana has set the minimum wager at R650 a month since
March this year.
"He told us he's changing because the law was also changing. Our
foremen said they were scared to speak to him," Kolobi said.
"Everything here is like hell. We're cramped. Our houses are
infested with lice and we share the yard outside with pigs that stay
next to our houses for left over food," he said.
Kubheka said that inspectors were helping the workers recover the
money lost due to illegal deductions, and they've all decided to
leave the farm after 15 were dismissed on Wednesday.
"Each worker is going to get about R1 800, and we're going to
advise them to take the case to the Commission for Conciliation,
Mediation and Arbitration (CCMA)," Kubheka said.
Burhmann will however go down in history as a man whose efforts
to take advantage of loopholes in land legislation forced Minister
Didiza to amend it.
Burhmann, in cahoots with the Transvaal Agricultural Union (Tau),
refused to allow the burial of his 31-year-old worker on his farm
about four years ago.
The case went as far as the Supreme Court of Appeal in
Bloemfontein and he still won because the Extension of Security of
Tenure Act was silent on burial of farm labourers.
Didiza then decided to amend the act in 2001 to give labourers
rights to be buried on farms if they worked and stayed there.
An Amersfoort farmer, also in Mpumalanga, has recently failed in
his attempt to challenge the new amendment.
http://allafrica.com/stories/200307070660.html
Natal Witness, 8 July
Retrenched Umgeni staff to get help
Umgeni Water will arrange for the training and reskilling by the
Labour Department of workers in line to be retrenched during the
current restructuring process.
It is hoped the process, which will include the preparation of
curricula vitae and provide sources of information about
employment opportunities, will facilitate the entry into new
employment of retrenched employees.
Other measures taken to soften the blow include a moratorium on
all new positions unless it is demonstrated and motivated to the
CEO that the organisation has no capacity. The transferring of rural
schemes to municipalities means staff move across to the
municipalities with the same conditions of employment as the
schemes become the constitutional responsibility of the
municipalities.
Corporate services general manager Pearl Maposhe said Umgeni is
also encouraging early retirement but ensuring key skills are not
lost. She said a recruiting policy where personnel are recruited
internally first is being implemented and opportunities to transfer
staff to subsidiaries are being sought.
Maposhe said assistance will be offered to staff to mitigate the
impact of job losses where this is unavoidable. This will include
registering employees as work-seekers on the Labour
Department's database and dissemination of this information on the
local market by the department.
Maposhe said Umgeni must reposition itself to become globally
competitive while carrying a debt of R4 billion, inefficiencies and too
many people. "The organisation has to respond to these three
internal challenges through a major restructure, which is likely to
lead to retrenchments," she said.
http://www.witness.co.za/content/2003_07/16627.htm
Business Day, 8 July
Nedbank's Manager Direct considers layoffs
By Rob Rose
Nedbank has admitted that as a last resort it may have to retrench
some of its 130 staff at its telephone banking service for business
clients, Manager Direct.
The bank yesterday dismissed rumours that the service would be
terminated at the end of September and that 90 people would be
retrenched.
Nedbank GM Anton de Souza said some aspects of Manager
Direct would be restructured, affecting its 130-strong staff
component, but retrenchments would only be a last resort.
Nedbank said it was discussing the matter with unions and staff
and would look to redeploy those affected.
"We envisage that some of Manager Direct's current business will
in future be handled centrally by the Nedbank Call Centre and this
will result in a redeployment of resources," said De Souza.
Justifying the restructuring, Nedbank said feedback regarding its
telephone banking service for business clients indicated that "face-
to-face contact is the preferred option for a significant percentage of
the client base".
On its website, Nedbank punts Manager Direct on the basis that
"research has indicated that clients want to talk directly to a
decision-maker who can provide them with answers and who
understands their business".
Manager Direct is aimed at business clients, offering extended
banking hours betwen 7am and 7pm.
http://www.bday.co.za/bday/content/direct/1,3523,1384027-6078-0,00.html
The Star, 8 July [comment]
Ending poverty lies in people's hands
By Johan van Zyl & Norman Reynolds
Allister Sparks (Opinion and Analysis, July 2) has hit the nail on
the head. The great poverty divide in South Africa is indeed the
most devastating and explosive social issue facing our country.
However, beyond pointing out the extreme gravity of the situation,
he did not suggest much about how to resolve this huge problem.
Our basic contention is that "new thinking" is vitally necessary if
we are to make any headway. Such thinking will have to admit
openly that an innovative approach to creating more jobs and
incomes for all South Africans is urgently required.
Local communities need to be turned into working local economies
which can create their own jobs.
In essence, this would involve a greater focus on the "localisation"
of economic activities.
One author remembers well attending a meeting in the eighties of
the then very influential Economic Advisory Council to the State
President. The chairman stated that the unemployment issue had
become a real problem. The council recommended a range of
measures to increase the economic (GDP) growth rate so as to
uplift the overall level of employment. It worked.
In today's world, the irony is that such simple solutions are failing.
As a practical outcome, our unemployment and poverty problems
have escalated all the time.
A major reason for this dramatic change is that today's fierce
globalisation drive forces companies everywhere to cut production
costs continuously - to remain internationally competitive. The
most efficient way to do this is to adopt modern hi-tech information-
driven production technology.
However, in basic economic terms such "rightsizing" or
"downsizing" implies a much higher capital-intensive mode of
production. In turn, conventional labour inputs have become
distinctly questionable.
The key issue is clear. South Africa now has a serious national
dilemma - between business competitiveness internationally and
job creation for all its citizens.
If the broad business sector can no longer provide
"employment for all" what is to be done ? We have little alternative
but to turn to the "other sector" in South African economic life - its
large marginalised or peripheral sector.
The extensive black townships and many rural areas have, in
economic terms, long been hugely dependent on the "modern
sector" - for jobs as well as for supplying most of their daily
consumption of goods and services. Turning around this
considerable historic economic dependency now offers a promising
solution to our poverty crisis.
In future, these areas simply have to start creating more jobs and
incomes within their own communities. In short, they have to
become "working local economies".
We already have the legal framework in place to pursue such
greater localisation. The new Municipal Systems Bill builds
strongly upon the basic socio-economic rights "guaranteed" in our
national constitution. This is essentially enabling legislation that
encourages local governments to innovate and experiment in order
to become genuine "developmental local authorities".
A major thrust of such activities would be to generate new local
demand via local job creation. The business sector cannot be
expected to do this. For them profit prospects are generally simply
too unattractive. Hence, it is basically over to local government and
residents in the first rounds.
But even generating new local incomes is not enough. At present,
there is no local "income multiplier" of any note to stimulate further
local economic activities. Most new incomes leak out rapidly by
being spent on commodities supplied by the external modern
economy.
If such incomes could subsequently be spent on new local
production of goods and services, the present very low income
multiplier of about 1,3 could rise to 3 or 4 or even higher. Some
kind of "import replacement strategy" is necessary. This would
powerfully stimulate truly effective working local economies.
On the democratic political side, if such new demand creation is to
be led by local councils , they will have to involve local citizens
directly, as the law requires.
A first step might well be for a local council to invite local
community groups (appropriately organised and registered) to
accept responsibility for implementation and outcome of a number
of particular "programme rights" such as investment rights, child
rights, health rights, etc. But there also has to be a definite
promise to provide a budget for implementing any such local
initiatives.
In this context, it should be noted that our municipal systems
framework ensures that any local council must obtain its equitable
share and allocation of nationally raised revenue.
At first, the most urgently needed programme is likely to be a
"Community Investment Programme" in which local groupings
decide themselves what kinds of "public works" initiatives need to
be undertaken and managed.
The local council and member communities of each programme
type would oversee the administration and management of the
process of extending economic/programme rights to residents,
including negotiating and establishing the basic rules to be involved.
Overall, such a localisation strategy would not only bring back to
local people greater control over their own destinies but is also
likely to result in some international examples of genuinely
sustainable development.
http://www.thestar.co.za/index.php?fSectionId=3D225&fArticleId=3D183709
NAMIBIA
The Namibian, 7 July
Textile company mum on suspended workers
LINDSAY DENTLINGER
THE Malaysian-run textile factory, Ramatex, remains reluctant to
divulge the fate of about a 100 workers who were suspended after a
strike almost two months ago.
Last month the factory gradually reinstated more than 300 of the
original group of 416 who were suspended for allegedly
masterminding a strike of about 3 000 employees.
The employees at the Windhoek-based outfit downed tools
demanding a salary increase and housing, transport and medical
benefits among other improvements to their conditions of service.
Last week managers at the factory told The Namibian on two
separate days that they were holding meetings with the union to
discuss the matter.
However, both Nafau Secretary General, Cuana Angula, and the
Labour Commissioner's office told The Namibian that they had not
been informed about any meeting to discuss the future of the
suspended workers.
On Friday, Ramatex's Human Resources Manager, Kawa Goh,
said that an outcome was only likely by the end of this week.
The workers affected by their decision are mostly those who were
suspended while they were on maternity and sick leave at the time
of the strike.
So far, none of these workers have been charged with disciplinary
offences.
Those who were reinstated last month received their salaries for the
time they were off work.
http://www.namibian.com.na/2003/june/national/03DFC05BF8.html
GHANA
Ghanaian Chronicle, 7 July
Trades Union Congress (TUC) joins the fray
Vra Saga
The Public Service Workers Union of the Trades Union Congress
have joined their colleagues at the Volta River Authority in their
protest against the handling of their case with the embattled chief
executive of the authority, Dr. Charles Y. Wereko-Brobby.
In a press release signed and issued last Thursday by A.T. D.
Okine, general secretary of the union, the workers said they found
unacceptable the statement signed by the Chief of Staff, which
created the impression that the issues involving the CEO had been
concluded, except for the managerial style.
They stated, "In our view his statement failed to address the real
concerns raised in the petition by the staff groups."
According to the release, the union had been following
developments with keen interest and utmost concern on the
rumpus in the VRA as well pronouncements of some media
commentators and government officials on the crisis without fully
knowing the real issues at stake and appreciate their implications.
The workers said they had had the opportunity to sit and listen to
the staff groups presentation at the ministerial committee's sittings
and " we are convinced that the VRA Divisional Union and Senior
Staff Association provided more than sufficient evidence to the
issues raised in their petition with supporting documents."
They noted that the VRA is a strategic national asset, which
should not be toyed with for any political expedience.
The union stated that the petition of the workers must be
addressed in depth in the interest of sound industrial peace and
harmony.
"We have formally requested the minister of Energy to make a
copy of the committee's detailed report available to us for our
study," the release pointed out.
It urged VRA workers to remain calm for a lasting solution to be
found to the crisis.
http://allafrica.com/stories/200307070653.htmlNIGERIA
Business Day, 8 July
Nigerian strike called off
ABUJA - Nigeria's main labour movement accepted a government
offer on Tuesday to reduce fuel prices and halted a nationwide
general strike as it entered its ninth day, the body's president
said.
Strike leader Adams Oshiomhole, president of the Nigeria Labour
Congress (NLC), told reporters that the 29 trade unions affiliated
with his umbrella body had agreed to go back to work.
"Given the sacrifices and the privations which Nigerians have had to
make or contend with over the past eight days, the NLC has a
compelling duty to avail the people some relief by suspending the
strike action," he said.
The labour leader said that the unions had voted to accept a
government offer to reduce the recently increased cap on the
pump price of petrol from 40 naira per litre to 34 naira .
"Having also compelled the federal government to back down and
to reduce the price of petrol from 40 naira to 34 per litre, the
nationwide strike action and mass protest is suspended for the
above-mentioned reasons," he said.
Labour's decision will reassure nervous oil markets, who have been
fearful that further industrial action could disrupt exports from the
world's fifth largest exporter of crude oil and force up prices.
It also removes a cloud hanging over Nigeria's preparations to play
host to US President George W. Bush, who is due to make an
overnight stopover in Abuja on Friday and meet with President
Olusegun Obasanjo.
The NLC launched the strike on Monday last week after Obasanjo
abolished subsidies on fuel, causing prices to climb by more than
50 percent. The pump price of petrol shot up from 26 naira to 40,
sparking public anger.
On Monday the anger boiled over into the streets of Lagos,
Nigeria's commercial hub. At least four, and reportedly up to ten,
protesters were shot dead by police in clashes around the city.
http://www.bday.co.za/bday/content/direct/1,3523,1384108-6078-0,00.html
Vanguard, 8 July
14 killed as fuel strike gets violent
By Emma Nnadozie, Olasunkanmi Akoni & Evelyn Usman
61 arrested for removing DPO's teeth
LAGOS =97 MASSIVE protests enveloped Lagos yesterday as the
strike over fuel price hike continued with the police and protesters
recording 14 casualties =97 two policemen and 12 protesters =97 in
different locations in the city, even as the Nigeria Labour Congress
(NLC) entered its eighth day in spite of the withdrawal of the Trade
Union Congress (TUC) and the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior
Staff Association (PENGASSAN) from the strike.
The mayhem paralysed economic and social activities in all parts
of the metropolis, with hooligans attempting to burn down Alakara
and Itire Police stations, while the busy Yaba bus terminal was
soaked in tear-gas fired by policemen who made frantic efforts to
abort a rally slated to be addressed by National President of
National Conscience Party (NCP), Chief Gani Fawehinmi.
Leader of the Oodua People Congress, Dr. Fredrick Faseun denied
the involvement of members of the group and condemned the
violence.
However, the police arrested 61 persons including six women after
attacking the DPO for Alakara, Mushin, Lagos removing his teeth
and burning two police vehicles. Lagos State police command
spokesman, Mr. Emmanuel Ighodalo, denied that the police killed
any person.
The protest took a twist early yesterday morning, following an
announcement by the President of the Nigeria Labour Congress
(NLC), Mr. Adams Oshiomhole, in Abuja that talks with the Federal
Government were deadlocked.
As early as 7 a.m. yesterday, protesters, mainly street urchins had
taken to the streets of Lagos, making bonfires and throwing stones
at private vehicles found on the streets. The confusion triggered by
the backing out of the Trade Union Congress made motorists
especially commercial vehicle drivers and some workers to resume
duties. However, many Lagosians who were in support of the
continuation of the strike stormed the streets and major highways
with a view to enforcing the strike.
In the confusion that followed, many people were injured while a
large number of vehicles were damaged. Hoodlums and street
urchins, popularly known as area boys hijacked the protest and
went on the rampage, destroying cars, looting and attacking those
going about their normal business. Worse hit by the protests were
thousands of secondary school students, who were billed to take
their National Examinations Council (NECO) examination as they
were stranded at different points in the state.
The protest and orgy of violence that erupted spread to major areas
in the state like Mushin, Yaba, Ikotun-Egbe, Iyana-Ipaja, Agege,
Palm Grove, Onipanu, Egbeda, Ogba and others while
detachments of mobile policemen were drafted to curtail them.
Reports said the battle was carried to the popular Yaba Bus Stop
where police fought relentlessly to abort a rally by human right
activists. Police sources said the enraged crowd of protesters
engaged the mobile policemen in a fierce battle which resulted in
the death of a number of policemen and the protesters.
Eye-witness account said the police used live bullets on the
protesters while police sources claimed the protesters were armed
with locally made pistols and bombs which they used freely
against the police. Vanguard learnt that the situation was more
tense at Ogba and Akowonjo areas of the state where protesters
engaged the police in open confrontation leading to the death of
some of the protesters. Three young men were reportedly shot
dead at Akowonjo while many were wounded as the police tried in
vain to disperse the rampaging crowd.
Major highways were blocked with bonfire made from disused tyres
and heaps of rubbish were scattered on the road, thus making it
difficult for motorists to ply the roads. At the Oshodi Apapa
Expressway, policemen and fire service officials were seen
removing the rubbish heaped on the highways while angry crowds
of protesters hurled stones at them.
The protesters forced motorists out of the highways. At Ejigbo
area, they were seen turning commercial vehicles back. A motorist
was nearly lynched after he crushed a teenager to death as he was
trying to escape from the protesters who blocked the road.
The police from the airport wing led by a commissioner, Mr. Tunde
Cole, patrolled from the sky with their operational helicopters to
lend support to the policemen on land.
The state Police Commissioner, Mr. Young Arebamen, warned the
violent protesters to desist from the acts or be ruthlessly dealt with
even as he sued for calm. At Command Headquarters, Ikeja, the
command spokesman, Mr. Emmanuel Ighodalo, said the situation
had been contained by the police. He denied that the police killed
any protester.
According to him, "this demonstration is illegal because there was
no authority given to them. All the same, we are handling them
carefully. We have never had this before and it is like they left
Abuja and converged on Lagos. Our men are on the ground and we
are trying to curtail the situation. They (protesters) are trying to
paralyse activities by stopping people from going about their lawful
duties and we are not allowing them. They have been attacking our
men with dangerous weapons, including locally made guns and
even bombs but we have cautioned our men to take it easy with
them.
"They have also allowed hoodlums to hijack their protests and this
is not good for us all. They have even made attempts to burn some
police stations but for the vigilance of our men. We are appealing to
them to go back home and allow people who want to go to work to
do so. We have not received information on the killing of anybody,
including policemen but I know that some of the protesters are
dangerously armed and they have been shooting at our men. "The
only thing I will say at this point is that if the shooting continues, I
cannot guarantee what will happen because we have commanders
on the field monitoring the situation. If it becomes a riotous
situation, they have to defend themselves. That is all I know."
http://www.vanguardngr.com/articles/2002/headline/f108072003.html
The Scotsman, 8 July
Nigerian police deny killing ten protesters in general strike
TUME AHEMBAIN LAGOS
POLICE shot dead at least ten protesters during violence in Lagos
as a general strike over fuel prices entered its second week,
Nigeria=92s top union official said yesterday. A police spokesman
denied the killings.
The incident took place just days before a planned visit by George
Bush, the United States president, to the world=92s eighth largest oil
exporter.
"It has been confirmed that police have killed over ten people in
Lagos," the strike leader, Adams Oshiomhole, told a news
conference in Abuja. "This is despicable and unacceptable."
But Emmanuel Ighodalo, a spokesman for the Lagos police, said:
"The police did not kill anybody at all. [Everything] took place
peacefully. Nobody was even wounded."
Mr Oshiomhole said Olusegun Obasanjo=92s government had offered
a new compromise price for petrol, but it did not meet the demand
of his umbrella Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC). The NLC=92s national
executive council was meeting yesterday to decide whether to
reject or accept the offer.
Mr Bush ends his five-country trip to Africa in Nigeria on Friday
night and Saturday, and he is likely to focus on Nigeria=92s status as
a regional power and major supplier of oil to the United States. The
strike has so far not threatened the visit.
Throughout yesterday, protesters blocked major roads and torched
piles of tyres in the industrial and impoverished western part of
Lagos, a city of 13 million people.
"Right now we are managing a crisis," Lagos police chief Young
Arebamen said.
In Oshodi, a mainly industrial district, a number of road fires burned
and hundreds of frightened people were stranded at bus stops.
Youths chanted slogans criticising the president.
Residents said there were also violent disturbances in Uyo in the
oil-producing south-east. "Vehicles have been set ablaze, private
homes and businesses are being attacked," one said by
telephone.
A traveller from Uyo, who managed to reach the nearby town of
Calabar at the extreme end of Nigeria=92s south-east coastline, said:
"The people are not organised and the police don=92t seem to be able
to contain the situation."
Many Nigerians feared the strike would compound political
tensions over opposition charges that Mr Obasanjo=92s re-election in
April was rigged.
As the disturbances flared, Mr Obasanjo took the witness stand in
the federal appeals court in Abuja to answer questions in an
electoral petition filed by one of his poll challengers, former rebel
leader Emeka Ojukwu.
Hopes for a deal between the government and labour unions to end
the strike were unexpectedly dashed on Sunday, as a deal over
petrol prices could not be struck. The NLC said the strike it
launched on 30 June would continue until Mr Obasanjo agreed to
lower his compromise price.
The strike was triggered when Mr Obasanjo announced an increase
of more than 50 per cent in petrol prices last month on the grounds
that it was essential for Nigeria=92s economy to reduce subsidies on
imported refined fuel.
Nigeria=92s own refineries cannot meet domestic demand, so the
OPEC state has to import.
http://www.thescotsman.co.uk/international.cfm?id=3D740672003
Daily Trust, 8 May
Nigeria Labour Congress berates Trade Union Congress stance on
strike
Chairman of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), in Kwara State,
Comrade Emmanuel Ayeoribe, yesterday faulted the Trade Union
Congress, (TUC), for betraying the Nigerian masses in the ongoing
struggle just as he condemned President Obasanjo for flying out as
the nation is in trouble.
Speaking with newsmen in Ilorin shortly after arrival from Abuja,
Comrade Ayeoribe who vowed that the strike action will continue
until the federal government bowed to the voice of reason, declared
that the stance by TUC would in no way have a negative effect on
the struggle to force prices of petroleum products down to
affordable level for the masses.
He pleaded with Nigerians to bear with the NLC, saying that no
amount of sacrifice will be too much for the workers, adding that
the strike could only be called off after due consultations with the
core sister unions that met to call for the strike action with the NLC.
"I don't think anybody has the moral right to call off the strike or
suspend the action without appropriately referring or making the
necessary contacts with the other groups that worked collectively
to carry out the directive," Comrade Ayeoribe added.
He said it was wrong and unpatriotic of the president to have gone
out leaving his house in disarray, "as charity begins at home."
http://allafrica.com/stories/200307070760.html
Daily Trust, 7 July
Senior civil servants support Trade Union Congress (TUC) over
suspension of strike
Adelanwa Bamgboye
Lagos
The Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria (ASCSN) has
supported the Trade Union Congress (TUC), which over the
weekend opted out of the one week old nationwide strike.
In a telephone interview with the Daily Trust correspondent, ASCSN
secretary in Ogun State, Mr. Seyi Adebanjo, explained that the
strike is supposed to be a joint strike action by both the Nigeria
Labour Congress (NLC) and the TUC, but noted that the NLC is
now alone in the strike.
According to Mr. Adebanjo, the point has been made since
government which hitherto stated that it will not change the price
has shifted grounds.
His words: "everyone has made its point and there is no need for
the strike any more," Mr. Adebanjo said.
The TUC had in a communiqu=E9 issued at the end of its emergency
meeting in Lagos which was singed by its President-General,
Shina Luwoye, opted out of the week old strike embarked upon by
the NLC and the TUC.
The TUC said their action followed the Federal Government's
proposed price of N35.00 per litre and the findings of the
labour/government technical committee which arrived at the
liberalisation price of N34.50 per litre based on current estimates
while the labour negotiating team made a counter proposal of
N32.00 per litre based on current estimates.
The TUC said it suspended the strike because of the huge cost
and pain it has on the nation and the citizenry.
"It was not a unanimous decision but it was put into vote and three
quarters of members supported the suspension of the strike."
He also explained that since the cost of prosecuting the strike
each day at government's expense runs into over N120 billion, it
had no choice than to shelve the strike.
http://allafrica.com/stories/200307070757.html
Vanguard, 8 July
Labour meets on govt's N34 offer
By Funmi Komolafe, Victor Ahiuma-Young & Wale Igbi
The Central Working Committee (CWC) of the Nigeria Labour
Congress (NLC) began meeting in Abuja last night on the N34 per
litre offer made by the Federal Government, but members of the
Central Working Committee told Vanguard before leaving for Abuja
that the N34 offer was unacceptable. NLC president, Adams
Oshiomhole, cautioned the police against attacking peaceful
protesters, warning that NLC might be forced to declare war on the
police for their continued killing of innocent protesters as Lagos
witnessed the heaviest anti-fuel hike protest. He described killings
of peaceful protesters as a disgrace to the Nigerian nation and
advised protesters to remain peaceful, urging them not to allow the
situation to get out of hand.
Two national officers of the NLC said: "We are going to Abuja to
enforce the NEC decision."
Oshiomhole also dismissed as of no effect, the purported
withdrawal of the Trade Union Congress (TUC) and the Petroleum
and Gas Senior Staff Association, saying the continuation of the
strike had demonstrated that the people were with the Nigeria
Labour Congress.
The National Executive Council (NEC) which met in Abuja Saturday
evening directed the Oshiomhole-led negotiating team to accept
N32 per litre as the maximum limit.
The NEC, the highest decision making organ of the NLC in the
absence of the delegates conference in session, stated: "NEC
mandated affiliates and state councils to intensify collaboration
with our civil society allies (students, market women and men,
traders, transporters, Okada operators, etc) to ensure that
Nigerians continue to stay at home until the federal government
accedes to N32 per litre."
Earlier, yesterday, Comrade Oshiomhole said: "This bloodbath
which the Nigeria Police is promoting is heightening the tension in
Lagos and is leading to more and more people being killed by
trigger-happy policemen. Yesterday, the police took over the Suleja
depot and tried to force at gunpoint members of National Union of
Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) to load tankers
against their wish but we advised our members not to attack the
police."
He said: "The police have been using military might to use
government tankers to go and load fuel and use police escort to
take them around. Comrades, this is laughable. How many tanks
do they have? Is that the solution to this national crisis? And the
police are doing this just as we are trying to do everything we can
to quicken the pace of settlement. I don=92t know why the police
authorities nurse the illusion that they can use power of fire arms
meant for criminals to intimidate law-abiding Nigerians into
submission, this is most unfortunate."
The NLC president asked on well-meaning Nigerians to prevail on
government to order the police to stop the killings and bloodbath,
threatening: "If they continue, we will declare war on the police and
let them kill every Nigerian that rejects the fuel price."
Oshiomhole said the N34 offer of the Federal Government was
"over and above the mandate" given to him by the NEC which
makes it impossible for him to accept it.
He said: "Until then, the strike has to continue because it is
beyond our competence right here to suspend strike, so we are
calling on the leadership of our industrial unions this evening to
come around so that we can take a collective decision and decide
what to do."
http://www.vanguardngr.com/articles/2002/cover/f308072003.html
The Star, 8 July
Thugs in Nigeria ride fuel riots wave
Lagos - Riots erupted in Nigeria's commercial capital Lagos as
President Olusegun Obasanjo made unions a new offer on fuel
prices in a bid to end an eight-day-old general strike.
Street thugs mingled with strikers as gangs spilled out into the
streets of the city yesterday, burned vehicles, set up barricades
and clashed with heavily armed squads of riot police.
One witness said he had seen dead bodies in the large, busy
Oshodi street market. An AFP journalist was unable to confirm any
deaths, but saw agitated police firing bursts from assault rifles.
Another AFP staffer was unable to leave his home because a
street gang - known in Lagos as "area boys" - had taken control of
the streets around his housing estate
Leader's offer fails with unions on eve of US visit
"We call them hoodlums because they are not really protesters,
they are thugs and area boys," Lagos police spokesperson
Emmanuel Ighodalo said.
"It's like they've left Abuja to come to cause serious problems in
Lagos," he said. The most serious clashes since the strike was
launched last week have been in and around Abuja.
The spokesperson said that police were attempting to disperse the
protesters and to protect strike-breakers from harassment and
violence as they made their way to work.
Meanwhile strike leader Adams Oshiomhole, president of the
Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), said in a televised interview that
labour would meet Monday to discuss a new offer from government.
"I have called a new meeting of the (NLC) to come and discuss a
new offer made by the government," he told Africa Independent
Television.
The NLC called the strike after Obasanjo abolished subsidies on
fuel and hiked price caps by more than 50%.
Hopes had been high that the NLC might call off the strike on
Sunday, but Oshiomhole ordered the action to continue into a
second week.
So far the NLC has failed to make good on its threat to shut down
Nigeria's oil production and exports, the world's fifth biggest source
of crude and the mainstay of the national economy.
Obasanjo wants to solve the first great crisis of his second term
swiftly, not least because US President George W Bush is due to
arrive in Nigeria on Friday.
Among those targeted in Monday's unrest were "Okada riders" -
motorcycle-taxi drivers - many of whom have worked through the
strike, profiting from the lack of buses.
Despite being Africa's largest exporter of crude oil, Nigeria suffers
crippling shortages. But many in Nigeria regard cheap fuel as a
birthright, the only tangible benefit the nation's 126-million largely
impoverished people.
Obasanjo believes deregulation will lure in private capital to
refurbish Nigeria's decrepit refineries, increase imports and
generate competition of petrol, diesel and kerosene.
http://www.thestar.co.za/index.php?fSectionId=3D132&fArticleId=3D184115
Vanguard, 8 July
Kidnapped expatriate oil workers sited in Burutu
By Hector Igbikiowubo
...ransom still pegged at N25million
Three kidnaped expatriate staff of Ciborg, an oil industry service
provider working for Wilbros Nigeria Limited have been sighted in
Burutu area of Delta State, almost two weeks after they were
abducted by their captives.
It was gathered that the Delta State government has given
indication that it would wade into the matter to secure the release
of the captives , a German national and two Filipinos.
It was gathered that Shell Nigeria had to wade into the matter
because Wilbros Nigeria is also working for it . Shell disclosed that
the staff were kidnapped by suspected pirates and that the
kidnappers had demanded a cash ransom. A Shell spokesman,
Harriman Oyofo had also disclosed that the company had yet to
hear from intermediaries sent to villages in the Warri area, where
the German and two Filipinos are believed to be held."We are still
waiting for a feedback.We haven=92t gotten anything from them yet,"
the Shell spokesman disclosed Ethnic-Ijaw community sources
had disclosed last week that the three, seized from their tug boat
off Shell=92s Forcados export terminal, were believed to be held in
Ogodobiri village in the Bomadi local government area, just north of
Forcados. Last week Shell said the unidentified abductors had sent
a letter to its operational headquarters in Warri demanding a
ransom of N25 million and another N400,000 to feed the
captives.The company said the abductors did not appear to be from
local communities who frequently resort to hostage taking to back
their demands for cash and amenities such as roads, housing and
schools from oil companies."It is not community related, it is
piracy and the motive is financial," Shell=92s senior emergency
response officer Juan de Radigues disclosed.Oyofo on his part
ruled out any negotiations with the kidnappers.
A company official disclosed that efforts are on to evolve a policy of
not negotiating with kidnappers, as this will only encourage more
hostage taking for ransom.Meanwhile, Shell has not been able to
locate the captives but said their families had been informed.The
Delta State government has also set up a team made up of
commanding officers of the navy, NNS Delta, the army, Nigerian
Army Effurun barracks, the police and leaders of Ijaw ethnic group
in the state.
It was gathered that the Delta State team is wary of moving swiftly
on the kidnappers for fear of precipitating a bloodbath which may
result in the death of the captives.
Meanwhile, sources close to the kidnappers claim that they have
issued an ultimatum for the affected company to pay the ransom
otherwise they will kill their captives.
Clashes between the Ijaws and their Itsekiri neighbours over
delineation of constituencies and representation in the state and
federal assembly elections, as well as the sharing of oil revenues
resulted in the insecurity of oil installations in the area, in March
this year.
This forced Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC),
ChevronTexaco and TotalFinaElf to evacuate their staff from the
area resulting in a short-in of over 800,000 barrels of oil per day.The
move equally led to losses amounting to 40 percent of Nigeria=92s
over two million barrels per day production at the height of the
crisis.
http://www.vanguardngr.com/articles/2002/business/b108072003.html
Patrick Craven
Shopsteward editor
and acting COSATU spokesperson
011 339 4911
082 821 7456
patrick@cosatu.org.za
339-4911
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