Uncategorized
Railway workers give FG 21-day ultimatum over poor welfare, Chinese drivers
Railway workers are poised for a showdown with the management of the Nigerian Railway Corporation and by extension the Federal Government over poor condition of service, their inability to take over the driving of the new Lagos-Ibadan trains from the Chinese contractors, among other issues.
Indeed, they have given the Federal Government a 21-day ultimatum to address all their grievances or face an industrial action.
The two in-house unions, Nigeria Union of Railway workers and Senior Staff Association, gave the ultimatum in a joint statement obtained by Newstrends on Saturday.
They said the decision was taken after a meeting of the unions’ leaders with representatives of the NRC management at Ebute Meta, Lagos, headquarters of the corporation. They declared the meeting held on Tuesday November 2, 2021 as deadlocked.
The workers in the statement signed by Segun Esan and Jibrin Kadiri, the Secretary General of the NUR, and Secretary of the SSA respectively, expressed their opposition of the Chinese continued hold on the driving of the Lagos-Ibadan Trains Service.
“The unions have demanded from the management to collect the driving of the LITS from the Chinese who, in total aberration to the norms and ethos governing train driving in Nigeria, still hold on to driving the LITS trains beyond the warranty/guaranty period,” they stated.
The unions asked the NRC management “to ensure that the Chinese are barred from driving the LITS with immediate effect and a new regime of warranty/guaranty of the LITS service be demanded.”
They also decried the manner in which their welfare package was being handled in the last six years by the Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi and vowed to adopt a forceful approach, going forward.
They stated, “The unions, without mincing words, expressed utmost displeasure and regrets over the manner the Hon. Minister of Transportation has been so unconcerned with the demand of the workers for enhanced salary.
“The unions recalled that the agitation for enhanced salary has been on for the past six years and the Hon. minister has tactically evaded all entreaties of the leadership of the two in-house unions to meet him on the plight of the workers as occasioned by the poor salary regime that is obtainable in the corporation and which remains the poorest salary regime ever under the federal ministry of transport.
“The unions have declared that tactics and strategies would be changed towards achieving all-important salary enhancement for the workers of the corporation as peaceful and constructive methodologies explored by the Unions have failed.”
The statement also said, “As of today and now, the Corporation has no standard condition of service and this we have pointed out to the management with the matching demand that the reworked standard condition of service which was placed before the Board should be reviewed and approved for applicability without any further delay. The management has promised to escalate it to the Board with a memo soon.”
The unions also commented on the last terrorist attack on the Abuja-Kaduna standard train, with a demand for a compulsory insurance policy for all train crew members and passengers.
“We have requested individual insurance for all the train crew, passengers and the entire workers of the corporation who may be exposed to such deadly hazards in the course of their duties. This demand is made without any prejudice to the existing group life assurance scheme (GLAS) for the workers the status of which is still lurked in obscurity to the unions,” the statement added.
Uncategorized
Lagos-Calabar coastal road: Train track work begins 2025, says minister
Lagos-Calabar coastal road: Train track work begins 2025, says minister
The Federal Government plans to begin constructing train tracks on Section I of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway in 2025.
The Minister of Works, David Umahi, made this announcement during an inspection of Sections I and II of the project, which are located within Lagos and being handled by Hitech Construction Company Ltd, on Friday, December 20, 2024.
The details of the announcement were published in a statement on the ministry’s official website on Saturday.
READ ALSO:
- Three days to Christmas, food prices, transport fares hit the roof
- Three Ogun varsity students die auto crash
- Dangote, MRS agree to sell petrol at N935/litre nationwide
“The President has given very serious attention to road infrastructure. Don’t forget that this Coastal Highway and, of course, the four Legacy Projects all have the train track incorporated. The construction of the train track for this section I is going to take off in 2025,” Umahi stated.
The Works Minister outlined plans to enhance the Lagos-Calabar Highway in Sections I and II of Phase 1, including solar-powered CCTV cameras, lay-bys every 5-15 kilometers, and security posts for improved safety and monitoring.
He announced that 20 kilometers of Section 1 are scheduled for commissioning by May 2025. The Federal Controller of Works, Engr. Olukorede Kashia, noted challenges such as large refuse dumps and unsuitable soil conditions requiring extensive remediation during the project.
Lagos-Calabar coastal road: Train track work begins 2025, says minister
Entertainment
Copyright: Court orders Adele’s song removed from platforms
Copyright: Court orders Adele’s song removed from platforms
A Brazilian court has ordered the removal of Adele’s 2015 song Million Years Ago from radio and streaming platforms worldwide following a copyright lawsuit filed by local composer Toninho Geraes.
The ruling, delivered by Judge Victor Torres, comes after Geraes accused the British singer of copying his 1996 classic Mulheres, originally performed by Brazilian artist Martinho da Vila.
READ ALSO:
- Ibadan, Abuja, Anambra stampedes: IG orders probe, threatens prosecution of organisers
- Gabriel Jesus shines as Arsenal thrash Palace 5-1 in London derby
- Atletico grab late winner at Barcelona to go top of La Liga
Geraes claims the track from Adele’s album 25 closely mirrors his 1995 composition, demanding recognition and compensation for the alleged infringement.
In the lawsuit, Geraes is seeking $160,000 in moral damages, lost royalties, and a songwriting credit on Adele’s track.
The court has also imposed a fine of $8,000 per act of non-compliance on the Brazilian subsidiaries of Sony Music and Universal Music Group.
Copyright: Court orders Adele’s song removed from platforms
Uncategorized
Marketers react after NNPCL slashes petrol price to N899 per litre
Marketers react after NNPCL slashes petrol price to N899 per litre
The Petroleum Products Retail Outlets Owners Association of Nigeria (PETROAN) has praised Dangote Refinery’s management for bringing the price of its gasoline down to N899.50K per litre.
PETROAN spokesperson Joseph Obele said in a statement on Thursday that the action is a huge relief for drivers and Nigerians in general.
“This price reduction, a decrease of N71 per litre from the initial price of N970, is a significant relief for motorists and Nigerians at large, especially during the holiday season,” PETROAN stated.
According to PETROAN president, Billy Gillis-Harry, Dangote Refinery’s price cut would lessen Nigerians’ suffering and lower living expenses over the holiday season.
“The price reduction will alleviate the suffering of Nigerians and reduce the cost of living and transportation during this festive period,” he said.
READ ALSO:
- Electricity: We installed 184,507 meters, issued 50 licences in Q3, says FG
- PDP crisis: Two ex-Senate presidents lead fresh plot to oust Damagum
- Ibadan stampede: Ooni reacts after arrest of ex-wife
Anthony Chiejina, a company representative, stated that the price cut is intended to reduce transportation expenses during the holiday season. Additionally, the refinery stated that customers could purchase an extra litre of fuel on credit for every litre of fuel purchased with cash.
In November, the privately held refinery reduced the price of its gasoline to N970 per litre. “To alleviate transport costs during this holiday season, Dangote Refinery is offering a holiday discount on PMS. From today, our petrol will be available at N899.50 per litre at our truck loading gantry or SPM.
“Furthermore, for every litre purchased on a cash basis, consumers will have the opportunity to buy another litre on credit, backed by a bank guarantee from Access Bank, First Bank, or Zenith Bank,” said Chiejina.
News Direct earlier reported that oil marketers have continued to rely on imports to deliver gasoline across the country, even though two significant refineries in Nigeria started producing the fuel within the last three months.
According to data gathered last week, marketers imported 2.3 billion litres of gasoline between September 11 and December 5, 2024. This ongoing importation runs counter to previous declarations made by certain marketers who stated their intention to cease importing and instead concentrate on locally produced goods.
Marketers react after NNPCL slashes petrol price to N899 per litre
-
Railway1 day agoLagos Rail Mass Transit part of FG free train ride – NRC
-
metro17 hours agoWhy we displayed ‘Jesus Christ is not God’ banner at Lekki mosque -Imam
-
metro3 days agoCourt stops customs from seizing imported rice in open market
-
metro3 days agoIbadan stampede: Tinubu orders probe as death toll hits 40
-
metro2 days agoIbadan stampede: Ooni reacts after arrest of ex-wife
-
metro3 days agoAfe Babalola: Court grants Dele Farotimi bail, barred from media interviews
-
metro1 day agoNIMC warns against extortion, reaffirms free NIN enrollment
-
News3 days agoAdebayo Ogunlesi, 2 other Nigerians make Forbes 50 wealthiest Black Americans list 2024