Why Nigeria is canvassing for improved cooperation among members of African Regional, Labour Center (ARAC)

 

 

Only a conscious targeted effort will equip the member countries of the African Regional, Labour Center (ARLAC) to face the increasing challenges in the world  of work, Nigeria’s Minister of Labour  and Employment Dr Chris Ngige has said.

 

He said it was for this reason that the Nigerian government is canvassing improved labour administration among member nations.

 

The Minister who stated this at the 47th Governing Council meeting of the organization which held virtually, recently; said : “Nigeria will continue to push for closer cooperation among ARLAC member states as a way to strengthen the administration of labour and enhance the capacity of the administrators for the challenges in the world of work.”

 

In a statement signed by the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment’s Deputy Director/Head (Press and Public Relations), Charles Akpan, and made available to journalists  Ngige  also said :  “With closer cooperation and peer evaluation, our quest for better-trained labour administrators, with capacity in social and economic roles and equipped with competence to impact on others becomes easier.

 

“I, therefore, reiterate Nigeria’s position for the comprehensive evaluation of the progress in the implementation of the ARLAC re-engineering process by the International Labour Organisation (ILO) to ensure that the centre operates in line with the global best practices.”

 

The highlight of the meeting included a ministerial symposium termed “Skills Development and Lifelong Learning” which is an adaptation of an earlier series by the ILO in 2020.

 

The symposium highlights the importance of quality education and training, provision of relevant skills to the young and adults in order to equip them for the future of work where technological innovation like artificial intelligence, demographic and climate change will limit skills with attendant negative consequences on jobs.

 

The meeting also witnessed the election of the new members of the executive office of ARLAC with Zimbabwe as Chair as well as Ghana, Sudan, Eswatini and Kenya as vice-chairpersons for West, North, South and East Africa regions.

 

Senator Ngige attended the virtual meeting alongside the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Labour and Employment, Dr. Peter Tarfa, Director General of the National Productivity Centre, Dr Kashim Akor.

 

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Uber drivers are employees, not contractors, says Dutch court

AMSTERDAM, Sept 13 (Reuters) – Uber (UBER.N) drivers are employees, not contractors, and so entitled to greater workers’ rights under local labour laws, a Dutch court ruled on Monday, handing a setback to the U.S. company’s European business model.

 

It was another court victory for unions fighting for better pay and benefits for those employed in the gig economy and followed a similar decision this year about Uber in Britain.

 

The Amsterdam District Court sided with the Federation of Dutch Trade Unions (FNV), which had argued that Uber’s roughly 4,000 drivers in the capital are employees of a taxi company and should be granted benefits in line with the taxi sector.

 

Uber said it would appeal against the decision and “has no plans to employ drivers in the Netherlands”.

 

“We are disappointed with this decision because we know that the overwhelming majority of drivers wish to remain independent,” said Maurits Schönfeld, Uber’s general manager for northern Europe. “Drivers don’t want to give up their freedom to choose if, when and where to work.”

 

The court found drivers who transport passengers via the Uber app are covered by the collective labour agreement for taxi transportation.

 

“The legal relationship between Uber and these drivers meets all the characteristics of an employment contract,” the ruling said.

 

The FNV hailed the ruling.

 

“Due to the judge’s ruling, the Uber drivers are now automatically employed by Uber,” said Zakaria Boufangacha, FNV’s deputy chairman. “As a result, they will receive more wages and more rights in the event of dismissal or illness, for example.”

 

Uber drivers are in some cases entitled to back pay, the court said.

 

The judges also ordered Uber to pay a fine of 50,000 euros ($58,940) for failing to implement the terms of the labour agreement for taxi drivers.

 

In March, Uber said it would improve workers’ rights, including the minimum wage, for all of its more than 70,000 British drivers after it lost a Supreme Court case in February.

 

Uber recorded $600 million in first-quarter charges to account for the UK benefits, highlighting the financial toll of wider changes to its contractor model. read more

 

Unlike in other European countries and the United States, UK employment law offers a unique “worker” status – a legal definition that situates drivers between independent contractors with no benefits and full-fledged employees with extensive benefits. read more

 

Uber has advocated for a similar in-between status in other countries, but said those initiatives would require changes to employment laws.

 

Uber in February released a white paper that called on EU regulators to recognise the value of independent contracts in job creation as they consider new rules to protect gig economy workers. read more

 

 

 

Uber defends contractors ahead of EU law on gig workers’ rights

Uber (UBER.N) on Monday called on EU regulators to recognise the value of independent contracts in job creation …

 

 

 

“We believe a new approach is possible – one where having access to protections and benefits doesn’t come at the cost of flexibility and of job creation,” Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi said in a blog post at the time.

 

The company is pushing for similar models in the United States and Canada, where it faces dozens of lawsuits over the status of its drivers.