Friday 11 May 2012

MY ARTICLE ON BECOMING A STAR PERFORMER IN AN SME POSTED ON WWW.JOBBERMAN.COM CAREER BLOG

Hi Everyone,


Please take out some time and read and comment on my article posted at the below link:


According to an article I posted earlier, over 75% of the working population is currently employed with a small or medium size enterprise. Quite a number of us that work with SMEs have previously never worked at an SME and may be struggling with problems, fears, and issues we haven't encountered before. My article offers further  insight to SMEs and how to become a proactive star performer.

So please grab paper & a pen and get reading!!

Have a great weekend!

MAKING A FORMAL CASE FOR THE PROTECTION OF EMPLOYEES IN THE WORK PLACE

The chairman House of Representatives' Committee on Human Rights, Beni Lar, has called on corporate organisations and employers to ensure that the rights of the employees are respected at work places.

Speaking during a National Dialogue, titled: Human Rights and Business: Applying Human Rights Standards to Corporate Actors in Nigeria, organised by the National Human Rights Commission(NHRC), Lar said that employers must respect the right of their employees by giving them good benefit, paying them on time and making the workplace conducive and safe place for them .

"Some companies transport Nigerians in vehicles not fit for human beings. For example, Julius Berger pack Nigerians like animals in long vehicle that you can hardly get ventilation. Some foreign companies come to Nigeria and just paid peanuts; that is bad and must stop."
While pledging the National Assembly's commitment in helping the commission, the Rep said that it would continue to pass bills that would help protect t lives of Nigerians in and outside their places of work.

Also speaking, the former Attorney General of the Federation, Kanu Agabi ( SAN) stated that most Nigerians value money more than life which he said was one of the issues that have brought about poverty in the nation.

"We have been told to live by our own sweat but modern man is bent to eat his bread with the sweat of others. They used inferior method so that they would gather too much by infringing on the lives of people. We regard human right as the responsibility of government; it is the responsibility of everyone."

In his opening address, the executive director of NHRC, Bem Angwem stated that the commission organised the dialogue because of the need for a balance between business and human right and to ensure that corporate organisations were sensitised on the need to comply and recognise their obligation.
(Culled from the Leadership)

We look forward to seeing systems and practices set up to safeguard the rights of Nigerian employees.

NEWLY RECRUITED DOCTORS START INDUCTION IN LAGOS

Evening everyone,

I hope we all had a fantastic week and it is my sincere hope that even if you are experiencing problems or issues at work, my tips are helping you to overcome them? and you will always feel free to email if you need any one on one advice or help?

Regarding the earlier report of the Lagos Government sacking the striking doctors, news reports confirm that they have been issued their formal sack letters which also advised them to vacate their official residences immediately.

Further to this, The Daily Trust reports:

Lagos — Some of the newly recruited 375 doctors by Lagos government yesterday commenced induction at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH). Their recruitment followed the sacking of 788 doctors by the state government last Monday. Our correspondent gathered that the doctors have been placed on temporal appointment to be confirmed if they proved capable of doing the job. The sacked doctors insisted that the state government must implement the CONMESS among other demands while the state said it would no longer pay any "fees imposed" by the federal government.

This is a situation that if not handled properly can get really ugly really fast so we can only pray the law and best practice prevails above everything else.

SMES EMPLOY 31 MILLION IN NIGERIA - OVER 75% OF THE WORKING POPULATION!

Lagos — Minister of Trade and Investment, Mr. Olusegun Aganga, has said Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in Nigeria have risen to 17 million, employing over 31 million Nigerians. Speaking at the World Economic Forum meeting in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, yesterday, Aganga said Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises account for over 80 per cent of the total number of enterprises in Nigeria and employ 75 per cent of the total workforce.

In a statement issued by the minister's Senior Special Adviser on Communication Yemi Kolapo, Aganga said that in the last one year of the President Goodluck Jonathan administration, the results of new SMEs policies and schemes in terms of job creation had shown that if given the necessary support, SMEs would provide the foundation for sustainable growth and poverty alleviation in the country." But their contribution to Nigeria's GDP is still relatively low due to major constraints in the operating environment which has limited their abilities to create jobs and perform the vital role of enhancing economic growth and development," he said.

He said that in the next three years, Nigerians should expect more SMEs with enhanced productivity. He said a national database had been developed in partnership with the National Bureau of Statistics which was the first step in the effective tackling of the problems of the sector. Aganga said a committee, comprising of experts in the different fields relating to the major bottlenecks in the sector was already being set up to ensure that the country achieved a turnaround before the end of this administration. He said there will be a national SMEs policy that will address the major problems in the sector. Aganga said the Bank of Industry was already executing matching programmes with state governments on SMEs and deepening financing penetration using microfinance banks.
(Culled from the Daily Trust)

SENATE ORDERS NDLEA TO WITHDRAW ALL UNTRAINED STAFF HANDLING WEAPONS

The Senate, yesterday, directed the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) to commence the withdrawal of about 2,000 untrained arms-bearing operatives under its employ which they deployed to states across the country.
It also mandated its committee on Drugs, Narcotics and Financial Crimes to open an investigation into the recruitment and deployment process of arm-carrying NDLEA personnel across the country.
The resolution of the Senate followed the adoption of a motion, 'Deployment of Recruits of NDLEA without Training' sponsored by Senator Heinekin Lokpobiri.

Senator Lokpobiri stated that the deployment of 2,000 untrained personnel was dangerous to the Nigerian society. He lambasted the NDLEA for deploying 2,000 personnel without training despite having a training school in Jos, Plateau State. "NDLEA recently recruited about 2,000 operatives and deployed them to the various states and area commands across the country without training. "An officer of the NDLEA allegedly shot dead one Joseph Chia in Taraku Town in Gwer Local Government Area of Benue State on 16 October, 2011."
(Culled from the leadership)

With other countries enforcing strict gun laws, exams, tests, and permits before issuing firearms, how did 2,000 untrained men and women get their hands on firearms?

COUNCIL WORKERS PROTEST IRREGULAR PAY IN KADUNA

Local government workers in Kdauna State have decried the irregular payment of their salaries by the council, calling on Governor Patrick Ibrahim Yakowa to intervene with a view to finding a lasting solution to the problem.

Chairman of the Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE, Comrade Shehu Abubakar, said this while responding to complaints forwarded to him by the local branches of the union over the non-payment of the workers' salaries promptly. The union leader, who exonerated the local government councils for being responsible, also blamed the state government.
(Culled from Daily Trust)

NEW NIGERIAN WORKERS UNPAID FOR 12 MONTHS - STAGE PEACEFUL PROTEST

Workers of the New Nigerian Newspapers yesterday staged a peaceful protest in Kaduna over the non payment of their 12 months salaries!! The workers, who staged the protest at the entrance of the company on Ahmadu Bello way, accused the Northern Governors Forum (NGF) of insensitivity.
They barred placards with various inscriptions such as, "FG pay NNN liability and pension", "No poverty alleviation in the North", "We are dying" etc.

Addressing newsmen during the protest, chairman of the Nigerian Union of Journalist in the company, Ibrahim Adamu urged the Northern Governors Forum to come out with sincere measures that could aid payment of their salaries. He said since the commencement of the strike, five staff have died.
"The governors should come out with sincere measures aimed at ensuring payment of our salaries and set in motion necessary machinery for the privatisation of the company for effective management, and or other measures deemed necessary to keep the company afloat. We are law abiding Nigerians and that is why we have been patient all this while. However, our patience has been over stretched. Please pay our salaries and stop toying with our lives," he said.
Daily Trust reports that the workers embarked on strike last February as a result of non payment of their 10 months salaries, which has now increased to 12 months.
(culled from the Daily Trust)

I mean seriously, 12 months?? when does negligence turn into wickedness if people can go unpaid for 12 months? And at which point after not being paid for a job you are doing do you think, may be I should look for another job rather than accumulate bills I cannot pay for?