20,000 jobs at risk over increase in excise duty, union warns

The National Union of Food, Beverages and Tobacco Employees (NUFBTE) has warned that more than 20,000 jobs might be lost with the recent upward review of excise duty on alcoholic beverages and tobacco. Prof. Julius Iyasele, the University of Benin Chairman of Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), says a return to the salary structure and scale operated in the colonial era will prevent incessant strikes by Nigerian workers.

Iyasele expressed the view in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Benin, on Sunday.

He said differences in salaries among various categories of workers in the same sector was through steps in the structure unlike the current situation in which different groups had different salary structures in the same sector.

He noted that disparity in salary structure among workers in the same sector placed more importance on certain workers over others, whereas every graduate worker paid school fees through school.

Iyasele said that the structure obtainable during the colonial era ensured harmony among workers and stressed that there should be justice in the salary structure for all workers.

He also said government constantly reneging on agreements with unions during agitations was also not helping matters.

The unionist warned that The National Directorate of Employment (NDE) said 2,325 women and youth have graduated from its “Skills for Job Training of Youth Employment and Social Support Operation”.

Lawan Musa, NDE’s Communication officer, in a statement, said ninemonth training exposed the beneficiaries to life skills, sector specific skills, and entrepreneurship skills to effectively manage their enterprises.

Trainees, he said, were also placed on six-month internship with private sector operators.

The programme training, a World Bank-assisted project, was implemented in Bauchi, Cross River, Ekiti, Kogi, Kwara, Niger and Oyo states.

The union’s President, Lateef Oyelekan, said the new government policy would increase the cost of production, warning that if that happens, employers would have to look for a way of cutting cost.

The new tariff would equally make Nigerian companies uncompetitive with ASUU might soon start an industrial action very soon as government had again reneged on agreements reached before the suspension of the union’s strike in August, 2017.

He noted that no union could trust government any longer as the government was in the habit of not keeping to agreements on bargains with workers.

Iyasele said that major components of the agitations by ASUU last year was the Treasury Single Account, University in Nigeria Pension Company and Earned Academic Allowance.

He said in spite of promises by the government to implement the agreements within two weeks of suspension of the strike, nothing had been done and the union members were already asking questions.

Iyasele explained that in Edo, the major problem confronting ASUU members was the issue of tax as the teachers paid between N60,000 and N70,000 monthly as tax to the state government.

On the on-going strike by the Joint Health Sector Union members, Iyasele said that all unions were set up to promote the welfare of their members.

He noted that no union should criticise another as unionism entailed solidarity. (NAN) It was aimed at increasing youth access to employment opportunities, he said.

“The skills for job training aims to enhance trainees’ psycho-social behaviours and norms to assist in their future engagement, and help them obtain good knowledge of demand driven skills that concretely prepare them for jobs in either public or private establishments,” Musa said.

In a bid to encourage inclusive growth and development, 66 beneficiaries in Ekiti State were provided Starter-pack items to establish their micro-businesses.

Musa quoted NDE’s Director General, Dr. Nasiru Mohammed Ladan as commending the timely intervention of Ekiti State Government to provide tools and equipment to the beneficiaries. their counterparts abroad and would further encourage importation instead of local production, he added.

“We can recall that Dunlop, Mitchellin relocated to Ghana due to unfavourable policy and now produce there and still bring the products to Nigeria because this is where the market is. That means Nigeria is providing employment for foreigners while our people walk on the streets daily looking for jobs. It is sad,” he said.

He therefore urged the federal government to formulate policies that would secure jobs and guarantee more employment.