Wogu Promises to Actualise National Policy on Productivity

Wogu made the declaration while declaring open a two-day in-house seminar organised for professional officers in the ministry.
 
He said that the policy would assist in creating a conducive environment for employment generation, labour protection and productivity enhancement.
 
The minister added that the policy would guarantee social security, industrial peace and harmony.
 
Wogu noted that the two-day seminar was a prelude to the actualisation of the policy, adding that its implementation would help to address the current low ranking of Nigeria in the global productivity scale.
 
``Nigeria’s current low ranking in the global productivity scale and competitive index presents a formidable challenge in our pursuit of being one of the 20 most developed economies by the year 2020.
 
``The policy is therefore aimed at bridging the strategic gap and to compliment government’s effort at effectively mobilising, directing, coordinating, monitoring and evaluating on a continuous basis, the human, material and natural resources,” he said.
 
Wogu commended the International Labour Organisation (ILO) and UNIDO for their collaborative efforts in making sure that the outcome of the seminar was implemented.
 
He also commended other stakeholders, including the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), the Trade Union Congress (TUC) and the Nigerian Employers’ Consultative Association (NECA) for their roles toward implementing the policy.
 
Mr Dennis Zulu of the ILO Country office in Abuja commended the effort of the ministry toward setting up a new productivity paradigm for Nigeria.
 
``The holding of this seminar and the recent establishment of a full-fledged productivity department bears evidence of the ministry’s commitment toward taking leadership in installing a new productivity paradigm for Nigeria,” Zulu said.
 
Zulu noted that skills acquisition was a prerequisite for improved productivity, adding that the initiative would contribute positively toward achieving the transformation agenda and the attainment of Vision 20:20:20.
 
He, however, called on the ministry to work toward ensuring enabling policy, regulatory environment and the promotion of decent work environment for workers, rather than concentrating on skills acquisition.
 
Zulu called on the ministry to conduct research, make change in work ethics and overhaul the entire process in the work place for accelerated productivity.
 
He expressed ILO’s determination to support the ministry in the implementation of the project.
 
``The ILO, therefore, looks forward to supporting the Ministry of Labour and Productivity within the framework of the decent Work Country Programme as it moves ahead with this noble initiative.”
 
On his part, the Director-General, National Productivity Centre, Mr Paul Bdliya, called on participants to exchange ideas on ways of ensuring the enhancement of workers’ productivity in Nigeria.

FG to Review Annual Leave of Public Servants

The Head of Civil Service (HOS) of the Federation, Alhaji Bello Sali, said in Lagos on Thursday that plans to review annual leave of public servants were in the pipeline.
 
Sali, who was represented by Mr G.C. Ukomadu, Director of Establishment and Industrial Relations, added that a memo seeking for the review had been submitted to the government.
 
The Head of Service said this at the 2nd Quadrennial Delegates Conference of the Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria (ASCSN) held in Lagos.
 
You will recall that the government had issued a circular in April 2008, entitled: ``Annual Leave Entitlement of Civil Servants,’’ signed by Mrs Ebere Okeke, the then Head of the Civil Service of the Federation.
 
The circular stated in part that ``Officers on GL 07 and above are entitled to 30 calendar days, GL 04 and 06 will get 21 days, while GL 03 and below are entitled to 14 calendar days.’’
 
Sali said that public servants had been seeking for changes in the policy to enable them enjoy their annual leave instead of what was now operational.
 
``Federal Government is looking at the possibility of reversing the existing 30 calendar days to 30 working days. We have submitted the paper and it is before the government,'' he said.
 
He also said that the service had submitted another paper to the government on the need to transfer the deductions from the salaries of workers for the National Housing Fund to the Federal Government Staff Housing Loans Board.
 
Sali said that workers were yearning for the change because the Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria, which keeps the funds, had failed to meet their expectations.
 
Mr Peter Esele, President, Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC), said that the delegates conference showed the democratic culture and tradition in the trade union movement.
 
Esele commended the peaceful arrangement of the conference and urged politicians to emulate the workers and desist from conducting elections in a do or die affair.
 
He advised those that would be elected as new leaders of the association to be committed and focused in the fight against corruption and to improve the welfare of workers.