lHE GUARDIAN, Frida}( March 18,20U
BUSINESS lIS
Autowheels P42
Business Travel P45
BMW rolls out more series, targets more profit
X-raying the air travelling and challenges
lAP dissolves NlC's ASSBIFI Orders remittance of dues to parent union Verdict vindicates Union Sank's position By Adet Ogidan and Dclet Fanimo "T1·iE exislence of the break· ~ away fanion of AssocliHion of Senior Suff Associalion of Senior Staff of Banks, Insurance and Financla i inslitulions (ASSBIFI), affiliated lO the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), has been finally eclipsed, courtesy of an order from the Indusuial Arbilra[ion Panel ( IAI'~
The lAP's \'c rd in may have finally resolved the longsland in~ d lspu le ove r [he authenticity 01 NLCs ASSBI· FI, wh ich broke away from 1[5 parent body, currentl y afflfiated to Trade Union Congress (ruq
The lAP's verdict may have finally resolved the long-standing dispute over the authenticity of NLC's ASSBIFI, which broke away from its parent body, currently affiliated to Trade Union Congress, lAP, sittIng In Abuja, ordered the NlC's ASSIBIR to fuse with the rue's body, even as it directed thaI all dues received by [he breakaway faClion be remitted to the authentic ASSBIR. The notice of [he lAP award has since been communlc.ued 10 the Ministerof Labour and ProductIvity, In accordance with rhe provisions of Section 13 (2) of the Trade Disputes Act CAPTS, Laws of
the Federation of Nigeria (UN) 2004 .
The nllo parties to the dispute have right of appeal to [he Minis[er Dver the verdict wi[hin seven days. As at yes[erday, none of the parties was yet to raise objection to the order, according [0 The Guardian's investigation Oil the Ministry of Labour and Productivi ty. In the notice of award signed by Deputy Direclor,
Trade Union Services and Industrial Rela[lons Department of Ihe Federa[ Ministry of labour alld Productivity, Mrs. Chinedu C. Dike, and addressed to the General Secrela ry, ASSBIFI, of ASSBIFI House,a[ riot 4 ASSHIFI Road, Central Business DislriCl, Ala usa, Ikeja, Lagos, Ihe lAP vindicated Ihe new management of Union Bank Pic by ordering the NlC's ASSBIFI to rerum to [he rue's ASSBIFI where it rig htl y belongs, and [0 also remit an oU[5[anding check off dues to the rue's ASSBIFI. The notice paimed OUi that under - the fi rst Inslrument the [n dustrial Arbitration Panel, in accordance with Ihe terms of reference, was required 10 Inquire inlo the lrade dispute now existing
between the ASSBIFI, Union Bank of Nigeria Pic, Union Bank Unit of ASSBI FI, United Bank for Mrin Pic, United R.lnk (orAfr)ca Unit of ASSBIFI and the Nigeria Labour ' Cong ress, over 'the Jllegal refusal of respondents one h (U fil·on Ban k 0 r an d tree, Nigeria Pic and UnIted !lank for Africa Pic), 10 remit mon[hly union check-off dues and levies since September 2004 and December 2004 res pectively, and · the respondents twO and four (Union Bank Unit and USA Unit of ASSIiIFI ) unlaw full y holding themseilles out as ASSBIFI wllh 'secretariat' at 01, Broad SereN, lagos, in s[ead of being two units of ASSB IFI CONnNUED ON PAGE 16
Oirecror, Laborarory Services, Narlonai Agency far Food, Drul Adminlsrrarlon and Control (NAFDAC), Stella Oemioye (righl); Director-General, Paul Orhil; and Director, POfIS Dlrectorare, Momodu Sesiru Momodu. during rhe pre" briefing on rhe agenc(s selzure and searng of a company mgaged In lIiieir drug peddling. in bagos. yesterday. PHOTO: GABRIEL
'Nigeria to lose N1.4tr yearly to climate change' From Job AbnI!W. Abuja IGERIA may lose $9 billion(Nl.4 trillion)yearly to the pangs of climate ..(hang~, courtesy o f rising sea level along soo-k.ilome[fe COolS! line, Intensified desertification, erosion, nooding disaster, a mong others. The unsavoury scenario came from statlsljcs reeled out by the Ministry of
N
Agriculture and Rura l Development, in Ab uja , recently. Thestatisticsalsorevealed [hal with the increase In rainfall, a[ least 80 percen t of inhabitantS In IIle Niger Delta would be displaced from the region, adding lhat the estimated number of people to be displaced would range from 740,000 for a 0.2 centimetre Icm) rise in rainfa ll 10 3.7 mi lion
for a one-cm rise and [0 million for a two<m rise. The soclo-economic Impllcation is (ha[ Nigeria will experience masslve envIronmen(.;) 1 refugee mlgratlon and a general disruption In food production. The Pennanent Secretary, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Mrs Fatima BamldeJe made this known recently In Abuja at the foi nt Session of the
National Technica l Comminee on Agricul[ure, and Rura l Land Development (NTCALRD) on - Adaptation Strategies 10 Mitigate effects of Climate change for Sustainable Food Security: Bamidele malnlalned that environmentally, Nigeria's climatic regime s(.;)nas to be severely dfsrupted, leaving Its forr:SlS and water resources at risk, adding
that studies have shown thai biological productivity would decrease in the ellenl of global wanning, resu ltIng in seilerI' fuel wood shonage5. She submitted that the country has experienced shift In Ihe long-renn rainfall pauem lowards more arid cond i[ions, which have had adverse effects on CONnNUED ON PAGE 16
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G7 pledges to calm markets as Japan's nuclear
crisis deepens
R NANCIAl leaders of the Group of Seven (G7)- lhe world's riches[ countries, . will hold talks IOdayon ways to calm global markers, roiled by lapan's nuclear plant crisis and concern Ihal It will unravel the world economy's fragile recovery. Rising alarm oller the unfolding disaster in lapa n, in Ihe aftenn ath of an eanh~uake and ts unami, has s.-nt t~~~rs through world marrile shock is hitting shares andotherrisklerassets,such as commodities, while prompting investors to scurry for Ihe safety of govemment debt. The yen soared in disorderly trading to a record high ag<linst the dollar, on speculalion lhat Japan will repatri· ate billions of dolla rs in o\'erseas funds 10 pay for massive reconstruction lhat Is expected 10 be much costlier lhan the bill, following the Kobe earthquake in 1995. ~ I [hink lhe world economy is going to go righl down and It lias fiappened at a time when financial markeu are still fragile,~ sa id a central banker of a Group of Seven coun[1)t nle comments, made on condition of anonymity, are a testimony to the degree of concern aillong lOp policy makers about me potenlial impaCl of Japan's £riple disaner and in particular, lIS race against lime 10 prevent a nuclear mdtdown. -nIl' G7 financial mininers and cenlral bankers held a telephone conference ca ll around 2200 GMT on Thursday Yesterdayr, lapan's Fina nce Minister, Yoshlhlko Noda, said, as financial markels braced for pote ntiJl currency imerven· tion [oll owing the yen's surge. -I don't think slock and currency markets are in a slale of turmoil : Japan's Economy Mininer, Kaoru rosano, said In an interview with Reuters. ~We would like to get psychological support from [he G7,~ he said. The triple disaster, unprecedemed III a major developed economy, is al~ady disruptingglobal manufactUring. Makers of eqUipment for mobile telephones to carmakers and chipmakers have wamed of a squeeze on their businesses given Japan's crudal role in many supply chains [hat keep global commerce licking oller. The technology sector felt an Immediate Impact alter Friday's quake and !Sunami since Japan makes around a fifth of the world's semiconductors.