Nigeria: Labour Seeks Two Years Grace for Floor Mills Over Cassava Fortification.
- [ 20/04/2007
]
Under the umbrella of the National Union of Food, Beverages and Tobacco Employees (NUFBTE), labour lamented that in addition to negative effect on operations, the jobs of members of the union are under threat.
NUFBTE in a communique at the end of its National Executive Council (NEC) meeting held in Enugu recently, appealed t.o the government to grant the flour mills industries a grace of two years to comply with this directive.
In a communique signed by Comrades John Oyenemere and Idowu Yussuff, President and General Secretary, respectively, the union said: "The NEC in-session viewed that the two months (2) grace given to Flour Mills Industries to comply with the 5% fortification of Cassava Flour as unrealistic as bakers are complaining of less yield and short life span for Flour fortified with cassava, this has made majority of the Flour Mills Industries to either close down or go on skeletal operations thereby putting the jobs of our members on the line.
The NEC in-session therefore appealed to the Federal Government to grant the Flour Mills Industries a grace of two years to comply with this directive." On the epileptic power supply across the country, communique said members ofNEC expressed sadness that since the past years, the government. could not provide stable power to the citizenry despite billions of Naira spent on power.
According to t.he communique: "The NEC in-session is dissatisfied over the epileptic power supply which went down from 3000 mega watts m 1999 to 1000 mega watts in year 2007 in spite of 600 Billion expanded on power generation.
The NEC in-session therefore call on the Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN) to take stringent measures to ensure adequate electricity supply to ensure the smooth operations of our industries so as to restore the hope of our employers in building this ,nation. Since Electricity\Energy supply for production has been so costly in our industry, the NEC in-session is therefore appealing to the Federal Government to approve a tax-relief for companies running their operation, on Diesel so as to ease their financial burden.
The NEC in-session having considered all areas, calls on the general overhauling 'and total review of all tax laws in the country which are outdated and begging for review. It is on this note that workers believe that whatever increment is made on salaries and other Fringe Benefits may not be meaningful."
Commenting on the political situation in the country, the communique added: "The NEC in-session icondemned -in totality the shoddy, unconstitutional insensitivity, double standard, political meddling and very outrageous decisions INEC had taken to satisfy the over bloated ego of its paymasters and their nefarious intentions and therefore advised INEC to thread softly and avert the eventual disaster that is I waiting to happen which will be a great cost to our democracy."
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