The Nation Newspaper

Tag: planned strike

  • Polytechnic lecturers suspend planned strike

    THE Academic Staff Union of Polytechnic (ASUP) has suspended its planned nationwide strike to protest lack of government attention to technical education and implementation of government agreement with its members.

    The union had issued a 21-day ultimatum, threatening to begin an indefinite strike from November 2.

    But in a statement after its National Executive Council meeting, the union said it was suspending the planned strike to give government  ample opportunity to address its demand.

    Its National President, Usman Dutse, said the union was satisfied with steps being taken by the government to address its demands and, therefore, decided to give them the opportunity to concretise efforts being made to  address their demands.

    The statement reads: “Our union had brought to the notice of government the urgent need to attend to the sector that has suffered under the throes of gross under-funding, which has engendered under-growth in all aspects of the polytechnic system.

    “Our union is particularly worried that state institutions are the worse off. Salaries are still owed in many state-owned institutions with some owed up to 10 months arrears, especially in Abia, Adamawa, Benue, Edo, Imo, Kogi, Ondo, Ogun, Osun and Oyo.

    “Managements and Governing Councils have been recalcitrant and persistently trample on union officials in our various chapters by arbitrary suspension and sacking of officials and outright mis-representation in administration of the institutions, non-implementation of the Needs assessment; delay in accenting to the amendment of the Polytechnic Act, victimisation of union officials, withdrawal of allowances and persistent shortfalls in personnel releases to polytechnics as well  as the lethargy shown by government in the renegotiation of the union’s 2010 agreement.

    “These were compounded by the deployment of arm-twisting measures in forcing our members into the IPPIS module without addressing the union’s concerns.

    “This continued neglect and seeming government’s indifference on issues concerning the polytechnic sector led to our union’s 21 days ultimatum, which expired on the October 23, 2018.

    “Following this ultimatum, our union has had engagements with government and its agencies. Particularly worth mentioning was the meeting of October 18, 2018, between our union and the government represented by the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Education with representatives from the NBTE and Budget and Planning. At this meeting, government exhibited considerable concerns to prioritise the challenges of the polytechnic sector towards ameliorating them.

    “Rising from the emergency meeting of NEC therefore, the union in consideration of the appeals by the government and commitments to resolving the issues in dispute, resolved to put Its planned industrial action on hold to allow government more time to concretise its promises on our demands.”

  • Baru hails oil workers for stopping planned strike

    The Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Dr. Maikanti Baru, praised the leaderships of the National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) and the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association (PENGASSAN) for their roles in the prompt resolution of the recently averted planned industrial action.

    He gave the commendation at the 4th Quadrennial Delegates’ Conference of the NUPENG/NNPC Group Executive Council in Abuja.

    A statement by NNPC spokesman Ndu Ughamadu quoted Baru as saying both unions demonstrated uncommon commitment to the vision of the NNPC management of ensuring steady and uninterrupted supply of petroleum products across the country.

    ‘’I wish to register my appreciation to the present executives of NUPENG, together with PENGASSAN; you have collectively created an atmosphere of industrial harmony in NNPC and by extension, the entire oil and gas industry.

    “You have shown great understanding at the critical moments in the course of our operations. I thank you for the cordial relationship that has defined our association”, he said.

    Earlier in his speech, the NUPENG National President, Prince Williams Akporeha, said the union had embarked on a number of reforms geared towards rebranding itself for efficiency.

  • NIC stops labour’s planned strike

    NIC stops labour’s planned strike

    • Orders maintenance of status quo as at May 17

    The National Industrial Court (NIC) has restrained the organised labour from proceeding with its planned strike over the increase in fuel price.

    NIC President, Justice Babatude Adejumo in an ex-parte ruling Tuesday also directed ‎the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) to maintain the status quo pending the determination of the motion on notice filed by the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF), Abubakar Malami (SAN).

    Justice Adejumo gave the order after listening to Malami moved an ex-parte application.

    The judge said: “The defendants are hereby restrained from carrying out the threat contained in their communique issued on May 14th pending the hearing and determination of the ‎motion on notice filed on May 16.

    “It is the order of this court that status quo be maintained as at 17th May‎.”

    Listed as plaintiffs are the Federal Government and the AGF, while the defendants are the NLC and the TUC.

    Justice Adejumo also ordered that the processes in the case be served on the respondents within 24 hours and that proof of service be filed in the court

    He added: “It is the order of this court that non of the parties shall engage in any act, conduct, overtly, covertly on this matter pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice.”

    Justice Adejumo however announced the transfer of the case to another judge of the court for further hearing on the ground he would be engaged at the National Judicial Council and would not be able to take further proceeding on the matter.

    The NIC President said he was busy at the National Judicial Council and would not be able to go ahead with the hearing.

    The judge said he would prefer that the dispute be resolved amicably but that he was constrained to issue the order exparte because the respondents were not yet before him.

    He also said that he granted the order to make sure that people were not subjected to avoidable hardship.

    “I decided to take this case this morning because it is on an issue that will affect everybody. I don’t want people to be subjected to hardship. There will be scarcity of foods, people may die, students will engage in all sorts of activities. This is why I have to grant this order,” he said.

    The plaintiffs, had in the exparte application, sought an order of interlocutory injunction restraining the respondents from embarking on industrial action pending the determination of the originating summons.

    They also asked for an order of interlocutory injunction retraining the respondents from demonstration or engaging in any act that may disrupt the economic activities of the nation pending the determination of the originating summons.

    Malami had, while moving an exparte application, argued that it was in the national interest to stop the organised labour from shutting down the nation over last week’s increase in price of fuel.

    He cited Section 14 of the 1999 constitution as amended to justify his application to stop the strike.

    Malami argued that ‎no amount of damages could serve as compensation if NLC is allowed to shut down the economy.

    He said government undertook to pay the cost if the order turned out to be frivolous.

    The AGF argued that the balance of convenient was in favour of the government.

    He urged the court to determine: Whether the respondents have complied with the laid down condition precedent for embarking on strike‎; and whether there exist in law and in fact, the basis for which the respondents’ total closure of the economy could be justified.

    He said that labour met on Saturday and issued a communiqué wherein it gave government a three-day ultimatum to reverse the decision increasing fuel price.

    The AGF told the court that NLC had threatened to shut down the country if government failed to reverse the fuel price increase.

    Malami told the court that the respondents had threatened to close down all government offices, seaport, airports and markets.

    He said that ordinary and law abiding citizens would be subjected to hardship if the respondents were allowed to go ahead with their threat.

    Malami argued that the government was left with no alternative but to seek the intervention of the court.

    The AGF said that he got notice of the communique on Sunday and quickly filed an originating summons, a motion on notice and an exparte application to determine whether NLC’s decision was justified in the circumstance.

    He argued that the damage would have been done should the court refuse the exparte application.

    In an affidavit filed in support the motion, the AGF said: “That if the planned strike is allowed to go on, the Federal, State and Local Government will lose revenue worth billions of Naira, thereby causing untold hardship and ‎unimaginable security problems/challenges across the country.”

    He also said that labour had not complied with the laid down procedure for declaring a strike and had ‎not given the government notice of the plan to go on strike adding that government merely became aware of the plan through publication in the media.

    Malami said the Federal Government has no issue or disagreement with labour concerning the welfare or rights or condition of service with the different industrial unions and trade union congresses affiliated to NLC to warrant the threats to proceed on strike or causing a breakdown of law and order in the country from 17th May, 2016.

     

  • NUGLE extends planned strike date

    NUGLE extends planned strike date

    The Nigerian Union of Local Government Employees (NUGLE) in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) has extended the date fixed for its takeoff. No new date has been fixed.

    The union had said its members would down tools starting from yesterday following the non-payment of their four months salaries.

    Briefing journalists at the end of its executives meeting held at NULGE secretariat in Gwagwalada area council, the President, Comrade Yakubu Abubakar, said the extension followed the pending issues before the National Assembly, one of which the national budget.

    Abubakar said the council workers were not part of the FCT budget in 2016, but assured that the union was in touch with the National Assembly to resolve the matter.

    He said the Senate was on recess, but as soon as the lawmakers resumed on February 23, the issue would be tabled before them for debate.

    Abubakar further said, “We believe that before the end of the month the problem would be sorted out, or we will be going on an indefinite strike.

    He however said that all the six area council staff will get their one month.

  • Judiciary workers shelve planned strike

    The Judicial Staff Union of Nigeria (JUSUN) has suspended its planned strike over the non-implementation of the court order on financial autonomy for the judiciary.

    It issued the ultimatum last month in a communiqué jointly signed by its President, Comrade Marwan Mustapha and General Secretary, Isaiah Adetola, after its National Executive Council (NEC) meeting in Abuja.

    Speaking with reporters, JUSUN’s Publicity Secretary Kayode Igbarago said the planned strike was called off following an invitation to a meeting with the Accountant General of the Federation.

    “The meeting will also include the accountant generals of the 36 states. So we decided that there is no point embarking on a strike and be discussing from the outside,” he said.

    In 2012, JUSUN challenged the piecemeal payment of funds accruing to the judiciary from the consolidated revenue fund contrary to the provisions of Sections 81(3), 121(3) and 162(9) of the 1999 Constitution.

    On January 13, Justice Adeniyi Ademola of a Federal High Court in Abuja in a suit by JUSUN ruled that the Federal Government and the 36 states are breaching the Constitution as regards judicial funding, adding that the executive should act decisively to avert a constitutional crisis.”

  • NMA suspends planned strike

    The Emergency National Executive Council of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) has suspended its planned strike from today.

    The association had directed medical and dental practitioners in the country to withdraw their services from today to ensure full implementation of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the government.

    NMA President Osahon Enabulele said: “All medical and dental practitioners nationwide have been directed to continue to render their normal and highly cherished services to the lovely and caring people of Nigeria.

    “The Nigerian Medical Association shall, at the appropriate time, reappraise the commitment of the Federal Government to its self-determined time lines for the full implementation of the MOU signed with the association and take appropriate actions as it might deem fit.”

    The NMA convened an emergency National Executive Council (E-NEC) meeting in Abuja at the weekend to reappraise the efforts to resolve its demands.

    At the meeting were leaders of state branches of the NMA and those of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) branch, the association’s affiliate bodies, former president and elders of the profession.

    It was learnt that at the expiration of its fourth extended 21-day ultimatum to the Federal Government of Nigeria, the NMA rose from an emergency delegates’ meeting (EDM) in Minna, Niger State, on December 14, last year.

    It directed all medical and dental practitioners in Nigeria’s public health sector to begin a five-day warning strike from December 18 to December 22, last year.

    The association also saiditwould go on a total strike from today, if its demands before the Federal Government were not addressed.

    The demands, according to the NMA, border on the absence of a regulatory environment for the health care sector practice, funding of health care and the expansion of the Universal Health Coverage to cover all Nigerians, health infrastructural upgrade, alleged “fundamental” injustice to doctors on workplace conditions/conditions of service and other health sector challenges.

    Reading the resolutions of the E-NEC in Abuja, Dr Enabulele said the strike was shelved “in appreciation of the impact of the withdrawal of services on Nigerians; the appeals by well-meaning Nigerians for more time to be given by NMA for dialogue with government and the efforts of the Goodluck Jonathan-led Federal Government to address some of the demands of the NMA.”