FG to sack 50,000 workers •Plans after service training for those to be affected
Written by Clement Idoko, Abuja
Tuesday, 01 June 2010

THE Federal Government may have resolved to lay off over 50,000 of its workers in the next three months in line with the ongoing reform in the Federal Civil Service.


A source close to the office of the Head of Civil Service of the Federation told the Nigerian Tribune that the process of collation of names of the workers in the mass sack had been ongoing.


It was gathered that the workers to be mostly affected are in the executive cadre, and to perfect the plan, the source said the Head of Civil Service of the Federation, Mr. Stephen Oronsaye, had issued a circular to compile the data of the affected staff.


Besides, it was gathered that Oronsaye had inaugurated a committee to advise him on how to reposition the Executive Officer cadre in the Federal Civil Service as part of efforts to reinvigorate the service for effective performance and efficient service delivery.


The head of service, in the circular with reference number HCSF/CMO/RCM/106, dated April 7, 2010, entitled, “Repositioning the executive officer cadre in the federal service” and signed by one M. Zakari, stated that “the head of the civil service of the federation has appointed a committee to advise him on how to deal with the multifarious problems associated with the Executive Officer Cadre in line with ongoing reforms of the federal civil service.”


It was also gathered that forms were attached to the circular sent to ministries, departments and agencies, to serve as template for documentation of relevant information on the affected personnel.


The circular, which is already causing apprehension among the affected staff, further said “the exercise will require ministries, departments and agencies to provide information on executive officers to the Committee on the biodata on all categories of executive officers in all MDAs in the template attached herewith; the number of executive officers needed in each MDA according to a given format.”


Apart from alleged redundancy and in effectiveness in the discharge of duties, the source said “The exercise was meant to totally reduce the number of diploma holder, either National Diploma (ND) or Higher National Diploma (HND) in the civil service,” adding that government was planning to engage them in post service training that would help them get integrated into the business after service.”


Some directors and permanent secretaries were similarly eased out of office early this year following the implementation of the new policy of eight-year office tenure in line with the ongoing public service reform.


But this is coming even when the government is still struggling with the payment of the backlog of the severance package and pension arrears of about 30,000 workers affected in the right-sizing exercise of the last administration under former President Olusegun Obasanjo.


Reacting to the development when contacted on his mobile phone, the Deputy Director in charge of Press and Public Relations in the Office of the Head of Civil Service, Mr. Tope Ajakaye, denied knowledge of such plans to sack workers.


He, however, said that he was aware of a committee that was set up by the Head of Service on how to reposition the executive officers’ cadre, and that the intention was not to lay off workers but how to strengthen the capacity of the workers.


He said: “There is no truth in what you have said. I’m not aware of any such plans.”

http://www.tribune.com.ng/index.php/front-page-news/6220-fg-to-sack-50000-workers-plans-after-service-training-for-those-to-be-affected

This is obviously fallout of the new minimum wage struggle.

selingel:

This is obviously fallout of the new minimum wage struggle.

Why is Nigerian government always so insensitive? Where do they want these people to go now?

Belgore committee submits N18,000 new wage to Jonathan
By Fidelis Soriwei
Tuesday, 1 Jun 2010


Former Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Alfa Belgore
The Committee on Minimum Wage headed by Justice Alfa Belgore has recommended a minimum wage of N18,000 for Nigerian workers.


Belgore and members of his committee, comprising representatives of the Nigeria Labour Congress, the Trade Union Congress and employers of labour, were said to have submitted the proposal to President Goodluck Jonathan on May 22, 2010.


Indications that the Federal Government might put the expected new minimum wage at N18,000 emerged on May Day, when the TUC President-General, Mr. Peter Esele, said in his address that Jonathan would soon announce a new figure.


But the announcement did not come because of the reaction of the workers; who rejected the N18,000 minimum wage and insisted on N52,000 originally proposed by labour before the commencement of negotiation with the government.


It was learnt that prior to the announcement by Esele, the workers’ unions had agreed, after months of deliberation with government, that increasing the minimum wage from N7,500 to N18,000 was not a bad deal for workers.


A source said that the only snag in the N18,000 minimum wage was the fear that the Federal Government might reduce the agreed sum.


The source said that reducing the N52,000 recommended minimum wage would culminate in an industrial crisis in the country.


It was further gathered that representatives of labour accepted N18,000 because of the feeling that insisting on a higher sum could culminate in job losses.


However, it was gathered that the state governors were opposed to the new wage and were pushing for its reduction.


“There are fears that government may likely reduce the money. They are saying that how can you move from N7,500 to N18,000? Well, some labour leaders do not want to own up in public that that is the agreed amount.


“Let’s be realistic, you and I know it is not realistic to pursue N52,000. We had to do it across the board to get employers and manufactures to accept it.


“What the workers are expecting is N18,000. The President will raise a White Paper on it and put in place the requisite machinery to amend the national minimum wage,” the source said.


The Federal Government has already reduced the wide disparity between the salary of a permanent secretary and the most senior director in the Federal Civil Service.


Our correspondent gathered that the Federal Government had acceded to labour’s demand by increasing the salaries of the directors substantially, to bridge the existent gap between the remuneration of permanent secretaries and the director’s cadre.


However, the Chairman of the Joint National Public Service Negotiating Council, Mr. Olakunle Olaitan, said on Monday that what was approved for the workers by the Federal Government was an adjustment of the disparity in the civil service.


He said that what was expected on July 1, 2010, as announced by the President on Democracy Day, was not salary review but a new pay emanating from the relativity in the public service.


He said that the disparity, which culminated in the disagreement between the JNPSNC and the Federal Government, had been bridged substantially.


Olaitan, who is also the president of the Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria, refused to explain what the reduction of the disparity between the salaries of permanent secretary and the directors would lead to when applied relatively to the various grade levels in the Federal Civil Service.


He said, “It is not a salary review; it is a wage disparity adjustment in the core civil service. A permanent secretary earns the salary of 10 directors. We have only said that that gap is too much. It has been bridged substantially, there is still unfinished business. A new salary will come with the minimum wage.


“The relativity will have a ripple effect on the economy. It is not a new salary. The new salary is for the Alfa Belgore committee. It is before the government now.”


The Federal Government under the late President Umaru Yar’Adua had constituted the Belgore Committee on Minimum Wage in August 2009, to look into the call for a review of the national minimum wage.


The move came even as a bill proposing a minimum wage of N30,000 in reaction to workers’ lamentations passed second reading in the House of Representatives in July 2009.

http://www.punchng.com/Articl.aspx?theartic=Art20100601123114

This country tire person.

Even with meagre N18,000, FG still wants to retrench workers.

How much is the whole wage bill compare to what each Senator takes home, even on daily basis.

All Nigerian leaders are the same. No body should tell me any stuff.

Even Jonathan might be worst! .

Hardtalk:

Even with meagre N18,000, FG still wants to retrench workers.

How much is the whole wage bill compare to what each Senator takes home, even on daily basis.

All Nigerian leaders are the same. No body should tell me any stuff.

Even Jonathan might be worst! .

I don't think he is going at this the right way.

Kobojunkie:

I don't think he is going at this the right way.

How much are these people been paid per month (total wage bill )? Let him tell us know, and the reason to retrench some of them?

This is highly unfortunate. It appears wage increases for the rank and file of workers is inevitably followed by large job losses.

Why not find a way for a modest increase while keeping majority of the workforce? There is little capacity outside the public sector to absorb these workers and I doubt the 'after service training' will amount to much apart from lining the pockets of those who get the contracts.

While the wages might not be sufficient, a small wage is likely better than no wage.

Hardtalk:

How much are these people been paid per month (total wage bill )? Let him tell us know, and the reason to retrench some of them?

I said earlier Naija story tire person. The members of the assembly are seeking for a huge increase for themselves and the president is instead looking to give a measly increase to lower level officers.

Now, if he is trying to get rid of GHOST WORKERS at the federal level, that makes sense to me but I don't think this is the right way to go about such, neither do I think this is the right time to lay people off in that country.

Kobojunkie:

I said earlier Naija story tire person. The members of the assembly are seeking for a huge increase for themselves and the president is instead looking to give a measly increase to lower level officers.

Now, if he is trying to get rid of GHOST WORKERS at the federal level, that makes sense to me but I don't think this is the right way to go about such, neither do I think this is the right time to lay people off in that country.

You are right. There are so many measures that can be taken, in stead of job loses.

1. You can look for loose ends in the pay roll, to curtail ghost workers.
2. You can also look for how to cut down on Public servants salaries and allowances, and systematically divert it to civil servants payroll.
3. Also, government can put a stop to employment (temporarily) etc.

In summary, set up one of those useless committees, and get them cracking, on how to raise cash to pay these guys, rather than letting them go. Already, the crime rate is nothing to write home about, as a result of job losses, and government being the largest employment of labour will only add to the existing problem.

Leonidis:

This is highly unfortunate. It appears wage increases for the rank and file of workers is inevitably followed by large job losses.

Why not find a way for a modest increase while keeping majority of the workforce? There is little capacity outside the public sector to absorb these workers and I doubt the 'after service training' will amount to much apart from lining the pockets of those who get the contracts.

While the wages might not be sufficient, a small wage is likely better than no wage.

Exactly!.

Hardtalk:

You are right. There are so many measures that can be taken, in stead of job loses.

1. You can look for loose ends in the pay roll, to curtail ghost workers.
2. You can also look for how to cut down on Public servants salaries and allowances, and systematically divert it to civil servants payroll.
3. Also, government can put a stop to employment (temporarily) etc.

In summary, set up one of those useless committees, and get them cracking, on how to raise cash to pay these guys, rather than letting them go. Already, the crime rate is nothing to write home about, as a result of job losses, and government being the largest employment of labour will only add to the existing problem.

This government does not have a direction. I have been saying this, but people will not listen.
People are just celebrating this govt just because, they came in to salvage all the rubbish, Turai made us go through.

the truth is that our civil service is too overbloated, have you ever walked into a federal government agency or ministry, these workers just sit on their desks all day long doing nothing, some spend hours gisting about football and selling stuff.they dont even do any work,and yet government spends billions in paying salaries to an unproductive work force

@)OP

Re: Fg To Sack 50,000 Workers •plans After Service Training For Those To Be Affected

Medicine after death

ayo84:

the truth is that our civil service is too overbloated, have you ever walked into a federal government agency or ministry, these workers just sit on their desks all day long doing nothing, some spend hours gisting about football and selling stuff.they dont even do any work,and yet government spends billions in paying salaries to an unproductive work force

This is no excuse to sack them. There are ways to regularise this.
This govt have no focus!

this govt has failed,instead of creatin jobs. whereas govt that cannot create jobs pay d unemployed one

We need to reduce the size of govt.people dont do anything in govt work

There is a need to prune the number of civil servants to enable FG pay minimum wage if we need to be honest with ourselves. Quite a huge number of people ought to have been retired and thier still there. Organisations are cutting staff, cutting cost in order to survive the global storm. This action is not wicked, its just to to keep the systems running.