The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Strike

  • CAC workers on three-day strike

    CAC workers on three-day strike

    The Amalgamation Union of Public Corporations, Civil Service, Technical and Recreation Service Employees (AUPTRE) Corporate Affairs Commissions (CAC) branch, has embarked on a three-day warning strike to push home their demands which were made four years ago and have not been fulfilled by the commission’s management.

    Its Chairman, Comrade Ibrahim Kirfi disclosed this during the strike action in Abuja, which led to the locking of the CAC gate and disallowing customers, workers, and other people entering or coming out of the premises.

    He said: “Four years down the line, management has failed to implement the content of this agreement and has not shown any intention to do so. The long period of the non- implementation of the agreement hiding under the pretext of unnecessary bureaucracy, management had in other different ways. It continued to deprive staff of their rightful entitlements while in their eyes, these monies are spent on so many unwarranted things.

    “The last thing that precipated this strike action was the refusal to attend to our demand after series of negotiations and consultations with management that later led to an issuance of a seven-day notice and another 14-day notice of an industrial strike commencin 15th February 2017.

    “It is pertinent to state at this juncture that having examined the spending pattern of the commission, it is expedient to re-present our demands.”

  • Students: this is one strike too many

    Students: this is one strike too many

    Tertiary education has virtually been shut down in Kogi State following an indefinite strike by workers under the aegis of the Joint Action Committee (JAC). Students are feeling the brunt of the action. They are appealing to the government and the workers to sheathe their swords to prevent the sector’s collapse. MOHAMMED YABAGI (Mass Communication, Kogi State University) reports.

    Tertiary education in Kogi State has literally been halted. Students have been sent home, following an indefinite strike by the Joint Action Committee (JAC) of seven state-owned institutions.

    The schools are Kogi State University (KSU), Anyigba, Kogi State Polytechnic (KOGI POLY), Lokoja, Kogi State College of Education (KSCOED), Ankpa, Kogi State College of Education (Technical), Kabba, College of Nursing and Midwifery, Obangede, College of Health Sciences and Technology, Idah and KSU Teaching Hospital, Anyigba.

    The workers are complaining about the non-remitance of their earned allowances since 2009 and salary arrears. They are also contesting the retirement age with the government.

    The KSU chapters of the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU), the Non-Academic Staff Union (NASU) and the National Association of Academic Technologists (NAAT)  directed their members to comply with JAC’s directive on the indefinite strike, which began on January 31.

    In a joint statement signed by the secretaries of NAAT, NASU and SSANU, Comrade Moses Shaibu, Comrade Emmanuel Yusuf and Comrade Eunice Igono, the KSU workers’ unions alleged that the government violated the retirement age laws. They said they would seek redress at the National Industrial Court.

    To fish out ghost workers and those who falsified their ages, the government set up a screening committee to vet the workers’ employment histories and their credentials. The screening is to identify those who may have worked for more than the statutory 35 years.

    CAMPUSLIFE gathered that the unions insisted on having their representatives on the panel to prevent what they called victimisation.

    It was gathered that the government set up the committee without consulting the unions. The workers accused the government of having a “pre-determined agenda”.

    The workers became enraged when their colleagues from KSCOED going to Lokoja, the state capital, for the third round of screening were attacked. Documents containing the information of college workers were said to have been snatched by armed bandits.

    The SSANU, NASU and NAAT statement urged workers not cleared by the screening committee to go for re-screening as scheduled by the appeal committee. JAC lauded workers for their efforts to resolve issues arising from the screening.

    Reacting, Governor Yahaya Bello’s Director-General of Media and Publicity, Kingsley Fanwo said the government was not unaware of the situation, noting that it is working to ensure “logical conclusion” of the screening.

    Fanwo said the governor was committed to providing an enabling environment for “genuine” workersto get their salaries as   when due.

    He appealed for patience, saying: “Government is prepared to pay the backlog of salaries owed workers whose statuses have not been clearly determined by the screening committee. This is the reason government set up the appeal committee to clear the last batch of workers.”

    Students are not happy with the closure of their schools. Some of them, who spoke to CAMPUSLIFE, appealed to stakeholders to expedite action on calling off the strike in their interest.

    KSU students, whose campus was reopened after an internal strike, described the latest action as “one too many”. They warned that the action could cripple education, if issues surrounding it were not addressed.

    Eleojo James, a 300-Level Accountancy student of KSU, said the incessant strikes were becoming unbearable because her plans after school were being shattered.

    According to her, the strike has brought hardship to students and their parents. She wondered why the government could not stop the strike.

    For Joshua Arome and Rejoice Olowonisaye of KSCOED, the strike would have been averted if the government had kept its promises to workers. They said the workers’ demands were lawful, but called on the striking workers to consider the plights of students. They appealed to the government not to intimidate the workers in resolving the matter.

    Joshua said: “From what we understood, government’s screenings are for sinister reasons rather than for public interest.”

    A final year student of KOGI POLY, Abubakar Mohammed, said there were ways the government and workers could resolve their differences without resorting to strike.

    Samuel Ugbedeojo, who just graduated from KSU, is concerned that the development may delay his going for the National Youth Service.

    He said: “It is sad that the students who just concluded their examinations may now have to wait endlessly to be mobilised for National Youth Service. Even, students who just returned from their industrial training cannot resume for defence. We have been held to ransom by our lecturers and the government.

    “Higher institutions in the state have suffered needless strikes in the last couple of months. There have been interruptions in academic activities, non-assessment of student results and delay in mobilisation of graduates for national service. Even, students who are supposed to go to Nigerian Law School are delayed.”

    In a related development, the KSU chapter of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has also joined the action.  ASUU said it was embarking on an “indefinite, total and comprehensive strike”, beginning from February 3.

    On assuming office last year, Bello ordered a screening to verify the number of workers. The screening, the government said, would continue until ghost workers are flushed out.

    The workforce was put at 88,000 at the beginning of the exercise in February last year. At the end of the first phase of the screening, the figure came down to 63,000.

    The panel put the workforce at 18,211 in its report. But, there  are complaints the report is not foolproof.

  • ASUU strike cripples activities In Kogi varsity

    ASUU strike cripples activities In Kogi varsity

    The strike action embarked upon by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Kogi State University has started taking its toll on the institution.

    The non-Academic staff of the University had earlier joined other tertiary institutions in a strike action called by the Joint Action Committee (JAC) comprising all the Tertiary institutions in the State.

    vThe union had declared an indefinite strike last Friday demanding the immediate reconstitution of the university’s governing council and the payment of eight months arrears of salaries to all categories of academic staff.

    Addressing reporters in Lokoja, the chairman of the union Dr. Daniel Aina explained that the absence of governing council for more than one year had affected the institution negatively that it could no longer function statutorily.

    “In view of the demand for the immediate reconstitution of the university’s Governing Council, recent developments on our campus suggest that the lack of the council appear to be a ploy to erode the university autonomy which stands it out from all other institutions. ASUU-KSU will resist this.

  • Civilian JTF threatens strike over arrest of members

    Members of the Civilian JTF operative in Maiduguri have threaten to down tools following what they call indiscriminate arrest of their members by Directorate of Military Intelligence (DMI), The Nation investigation revealed.

    A reliable security source who does not want to be mentioned informed that, DMI in the last couple of days has embarked on a discreet arrest of some leaders of the Civilian JTF for alleged complicity in Boko Haram.

    Information available revealed that, Borno state government is worried about the development and has immediately taken steps to nip the danger from the bud by convening a state security meeting where the issue was extensively discussed.

    However,  members of the Civilian JTF  have threaten to desert the streets of  Maiduguri if the military continues to arrest their members, at the same time demanding for the release of those in military custody.

    For the records, the Civilian JTF operatives have been one integral armed group that has fought doggedly against the Boko Haram insurgency in Borno state and the North-East. Their involvement in the fight brought immense breakthrough in the fight through information sharing, Surveillance, and physical participation in the fight.

    Just last week, The Theatre Commander Operation Lafiya Dole, Major General Lucky Irabor at a live Press briefing in Maiduguri announced that certain people are undergoing investigation in the hands of the military over involvement in Boko Haram activities in the state.

    Though the identity of some of the suspects is still not clear, it was alleged on the social media that some of the suspects are close friends of Gov. Kashim Shetima. But the governor in a state wide broadcast last Friday told security agents to go after anybody involved in Boko Haram activities even if that person is any of his three biological children.

    Shettima in the broadcast called on Borno people to unite against terror, while praising the gallantry of the military and the civilian JTF.

    A source disclosed that the action of the Civilian JTF if not averted will be a major setback in the fight against Boko Haram insurgency in the state. He added that government is working seriously to resolve the issue.

    A military source which does want to be quoted informed that the military cannot just keep anybody in their custody without any reason.

    “For every suspect that we keep is a responsibility to the military, I will tell you that we don’t just arrest people for the sake of arrest. But for anybody in our custody he or she must have one  or two questions to answer and as soon as possible we release you if you answered the question satisfactorily and where otherwise such a person will have to face justice,” the source said.

     

     

  • NLC to Ngige:We are taken aback by your outburst

    NLC to Ngige:We are taken aback by your outburst

    The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has decried the statement by the Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr Chris Ngige over the outlaw of the warning strike and to invoke the clause no work no pay.

    In a statement signed by the General Secretary, NLC, Comrade Dr Peter Ozo-Eson, the NLC said it was taken aback by the minister’s comments, saying that warning strike is use as a bargaining device to bring to the negotiable table.

    “Our attention has been drawn to the threat by the Honourable Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr Chris Ngige to outlaw warning strike and to  invoke the clause of “no work no pay” in the  event of the use of  warning strike in the future as according to him, warning strike is not known to Labour Laws.

    “We are taken aback by the claims of the Honourable Minister. “Accordingly, we find it necessary to state that whether warning strike is in the corpus of the  Nigerian Labour Laws or not,  unions over the years across all climes use warning strike as a bargaining device to bring to the negotiating table, recalcitrant employers or social partners,” the union stated.

    The union said the efficacy of warning strike cannot be in doubt as it is reason why the government, led by the Honourable Minister himself is now negotiating with ASUP executives.

    Ozo-Eson said in the annals of labour history, warning strikes have had the distinguishing feature of saving the parties to disputes the rigours, costs and pains of full-blown strikes.

    The statement said: “Why then would the Honorable Minister be canvassing a position that is at once extreme and intolerant of further dialogue which is the mainstay of Labour-Government relations!

    “We find it necessary to caution that a hasty resort to legalese as a basis for conflict resolution will not be helpful.

    “However, the truth of the matter is that if strikes are guaranteed by the law, we do not see how warning strikes can be illegal. We do not intend to resort to unnecessary pedantism, but quite often, a literal interpretation of the law falls short of the intendment of the law”.

    He said the warning strikes will continue to be part of their engagement with all employers including government, when necessary.

     

  • Polytechnic lecturers begin five day warning strike today

    The Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP) will today begin a one-week warning strike to protest  the government’s refusal to honour its agreement with the union and fund the polytechnic sector.

    ASUP National President Comrade Usman Dutse said the union’s one month ultimatum to the government expired in December 2016 without any visible sign of the government willingness to meet the demands of the union, leaving them wig no choice than to embark on a warning strike.

    Dutse said in a statement after an emergency National Executive Council meeting of the union in Abuja that the union had earlier given the government an ultimatum in July 2016, but decide to stay action on their proposed strike because of appeal from the government and renewed the ultimatum in November, 2016.

    He said despite the magnanimity of the union, the government failed to address the issues raised by the union, which include the non implementation of the NEEDS assessment reports, poor funding of public polytechnics, deliberate attempt to frustrate the resolution of the meeting of the council on establishment in July 2016 and victimisation of union members as well as interference in union activities.

    Other issues include Jon release of CONTISS 15 migration arrears, non release of visitation panel reports of federal polytechnic a as well as non release of ministerial panel to federal polytechnic a in Auchi, Oko, Yaba and Ado Ekiti, delay in the review of the federal polytechnic act, non commencement of renegotiation of ASUP/government agreement of 2010 and government’s tardiness in the appointment of Rectors of Federal a polytechnics.

    He said that there was no attempt by the government to improve the funding of public polytechnics in the country as the 2017 budget currently before the National Assembly does not have any provision to that effect.

    He said further that there were attempts to frustrate the decision taken at the National Council on Establishment held in Minna in 2016 directing the removal of the age long entry level dichotomy against HND holders, while no further step has been taken on the issue.

    He also accused the government of not showing any interest in amending the Federal Polytechnic Act, adding that the bill amending the act currently before the National Assembly was the effort of a private member.

  • Polytechnic lecturers begin one week warning strike

    Polytechnic lecturers begin one week warning strike

    The Academic Staff Union of Polytechnic (ASUP) will on Monday, January 30, begin a one week warning strike to protest government refusal to honour its agreement with the union and fund the polytechnic sector.
    National President of the Union, Comrade Usman Dutse said the union’s one month ultimatum to government expired in December 2016 without any visible sign of government willingness to meet the demands of the union, leaving them with no choice than to embark on a warning strike.
    Dutse said in a statement after an emergency National Executive Council meeting of the union in Abuja that the union had earlier given the government an ultimatum in July 2016, but decide to stay action on its proposed strike because of appeal from the government and renewed the ultimatum in November, 2016.
    He said despite the magnanimity of the union, the government failed to address the issues raised by the union, which include the non implementation of the NEEDS assessment reports, poor funding of public polytechnics, deliberate attempt to frustrate the resolution of the meeting of the council on establishment in July 2016 and victimisation of union members as well as interference in union activities.
    Other issues include Non release of CONTISS 15 migration arrears, non release of visitation panel reports of federal polytechnic as well as non release of ministerial panel to federal polytechnic a in Auchi, Oko, Yaba and Ado Ekiti, delay in the review of the federal polytechnic act, non commencement of renegotiation of ASUP/government agreement of 2010 and government’s tardiness in the appointment of Rectors of Federal polytechnics.
    He said that there was no attempt by the government to improve the funding of public polytechnics in the country as the 2017 budget currently before the National Assembly does not have any provision to that effect.
    He said further that there were attempts to frustrate the decision taken at the National Council on Establishment held in Minna in 2016 directing the removal of the age long entry level dichotomy against HND holders, while no further step has been taken on the issue.
    He also accused the government of not showing any interest in amending the Federal Polytechnic Act, adding that the bill amending the act currently before the National Assembly was the effort of a private member.
    He also said that the government has not demonstrated any verifiable interest in renegotiating its 2010 agreement with the union, adding that the Babalakin Committee set up by the government was only meant for the universities, since nobody from the Polytechnic sector is a member of the committee.
    He said: “we are told that the committee to negotiate with the Polytechnic unions has been set up, but its membership is yet to be announced and inaugurated. Babalakin may also head that committee, but let me say that we are not part of the committee that has been announced because you cannot negotiate what you don’t

  • No going back on strike, says Abia NUT

    Teachers in Abia State have said there is no going back on the strike they embarked upon to demand the payment of the arrears of their five months salaries.

    News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports teachers are under the auspices of the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT).

    Mr. Chizobem Akparanta, the union Chairman, gave an update on the strike at the end of an emergency meeting of the State Working Committee, at the NUT secretariat.

    He told reporters that the committee resolved that the action, which began on January 9, will continue until the government yields to their demand.

    Akparanta said: “There is no going back on this strike until the arrears of our salaries are paid. This is the resolution of the state working committee.”

    He said teachers in government primary and secondary schools were paid July 2016 salary in December and were still owed August to December salaries.

    “Following the development, the committee informed the government that starting from January 9, we would go on strike,” Akparanta said.

    The chairman said besides arrears of salaries, they were owed about seven years of leave grants.

    He said primary school teachers were owed six years Teachers Enhancement Allowances, adding that secondary school teachers were owed 11 months arrears of the minimum wage.

    Akparanta said the union went on a three-day warning strike in January last year to draw government’s attention to their plight.

    He decried non-implementation of primary school teachers’ promotion entitlements, saying teachers were last promoted in 2011.

    “Because of these, teachers in public primary and secondary schools resolved to embark on a strike.”

    Fielding questions from reporters, the NUT chairman said the government had not shown concern over their plight.

    “Since we started the action on January 9, the government has not called us to a roundtable.

    “As teachers and patriotic citizens, we are ready for a dialogue when they call us.

    “Everything is a game of give and take, but as of now, the government has not opened discussion with us,” he said.

    NAN reports that public schools, which were scheduled to resume last Monday after the government’s postponement of the initial January 9 date, are under lock and key.

    Education Commissioner Prof. Ikechi Mgbeoji told NAN on the phone he had scheduled a meeting with the executives of the union.

     

  • No more strike, Ado Poly students beg workers

    No more strike, Ado Poly students beg workers

    The Federal Polytechnic in Ado-Ekiti (ADO POLY) has been reopened, two months after a workers’ strike. Students are angry that the strike achieved nothing, describing it as a plot to waste their time. TEMITOPE YAKUBU reports.

    LIFE has returned to the Federal Polytechnic in Ado-Ekiti (ADO POLY) after a two-month workers’ strike. The institution was shut following allegation of corruption against management. It was closed down two weeks to the semester examination, causing students’ anguish.

    The workers’ unions accused the Rector, Dr Theresa Akande, of mismanaging the internally-generated revenue (IGR). The unions, comprising the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP), Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Polytechnics (SSANIP) and Non-Academic Staff Union (NASU) accused management of mismanaging N250 million since 2014.

    They also accused the rector of non-implementation of the Consolidated Tertiary Institution Salary Scale (CONTISS) 15, saying it amounted to “gross insensitivity” for management to turn a blind eye to the plight of over 500 workers without portfolio in the school.

    According to ASUP chairman Tunji Owoeye, management deliberately stopped the implementation of CONTISS 15 as directed by the Federal Government. He said: “We want to tell the world that the workers are being marginalised by the rector. We will continue to protest until the school adopts the parity policy of a single system.

    “We have been agitating for the implementation of starting point of salary scale, which is CONTISS 8 in the polytechnic. When CONTISS 15 was introduced in 2009, only the senior staff benefited because people in CONTISS 12 and above were promoted, while those on CONTISS 11 and below were marginalised.”

    The rector denied the allegations, saying there was no substance in them. The Federal Government, she said, had started looking into the issues.

    The unions, the rector said, did not communicate their positions to management before embarking on the indefinite strike, adding that  management has been meeting with them on the way out.

    Dr Akande said: “The Federal Government has set up a Presidential Panel to look into these issues. The fact that I am still the rector despite all their allegations shows that there is no substance in them. The National Board for Technical Education (NBTE), the agency supervising polytechnic education in the country, and the Federal Ministry of Education are looking into the migration issue because it is not a local issue. It affects all federal polytechnics in the country.”

    The Deputy Registrar for Information and Protocol, Mr Adeyemi Adejolu, described the unions’ complaints as “old allegations packaged anew”.

    He said: “The workers’ unions have petitioned the Minister of Education, Department of State Service (DSS), Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) and other regulatory agencies. Government is already looking into their allegations. This is not enough reason to shut down the school.”

    CAMPUSLIFE gathered that the workers suspended the action after meeting with representatives of the Federal Ministry of Labour and management to sign an agreement.

    ASUP, in a statement signed by Owoeye, directed the lecturers to resume last Monday. Also, SSANIP and NASUP members held congresses  to discuss the development and aligned with ASUP’s position.

    To most students, the workers’ action was needless. They said there were other means to channel their grievances without closing the school. Students said they did not want to experience a strike again.

    For Helen Kotila, chairperson of the Lagos Female Hall of Residence, the disruption in academic activities had negative impact on students. She said many would have forgotten all they read for the exam before the school was shut.

    Helen, a Higher National Diploma (HND) II Quantity Surveying student, said: “Disruptions in academics usually discourage students from learning. It is not surprising that during strikes, most students are idle and some are inclined towards immoral activities rather than studying. Many have forgotten everything they read and this can negatively affect their academic performances.”

    Olaide Oladayo, an HND 1 student, urged management and the workers’ unions to always consider the impact on students before they disagree.

    She said: “The staff unions should devise good means other than strike to resolve issues.

    Strike should not always be the tool. This is because of the negative effects strikes have on students and the entire academic community.

    “There should be effective communication between workers and management. Staff welfare and other necessary demands should be unanimously tackled by the management and workers’ unions. Dialogue should be adopted while resolving conflict.”

    Tunde Olorungbotemi, HND 1 Accountancy student, believes that reopening the school during the festive period will put students in danger. He said the strike was a plot to waste students’ time, wondering why the workers took the action when the government was attending to their demands.

    “The management and workers’ unions are like electric poles. They know they are going nowhere, but they have wasted students’ precious time and toiled with our future. Reopening the school has put our lives at risk during this festive period. I am upbeat about the resumption but we have students that will want to celebrate Christmas with their family members,” Tunde said.

    Rodiat Lawal, an HND 1 Food Technology student, described the workers’ action as a “waste of time and resources”.

    She said: “The strike was just a waste of time and resources. It really affected the students academically, because many of us didn’t have time to read at home. This may result in low performance in the coming examination.

    “It would be good if management and workers embrace dialogue and have a conclusive meeting on their disagreement to prevent strike. Similar strike in 2015 affected the school calendar seriously and we are still battling with it.”

    Oladapo Ayowale, an Electrical and Electronics student is worried that the school calendar is no longer stable.

    The student praised the parties for finding a common ground that led to the resumption, but called on workers to review their conflict resolution mechanism.

    “My advice for management and workers is to allow dialogue to dictate direction whenever they disagree. They should know that students’ future is at stake when they close down the school and send us home. We don’t want strike again. There should be ways to resolve future disagreements between them, without embarking on strike,” he said.

    Akinkunmi Okanrende, a Surveying and Geo-informatics student, who is presently on industrial training, also described the strike as a waste of time.

    He said: “They have used the strike to waste students’ time, because the workers’ demands were not met before the school resumed. We should ask them why was the shut down in the first place. The strike has given the school a bad image. Admission seekers now see it as an institution where strike is included in their academic calendar yearly.

    “It would be good if management is open to workers and if workers are willing to dialogue. This way, students would be saved from the needless strike that is making their future uncertain.”

     

     

     

  • We’ll go on strike on January 2 if… – Resident doctors

    We’ll go on strike on January 2 if… – Resident doctors

    The National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) has urged the Federal Government to urgently intervene in the lingering crises in the health sector to avert an impending strike by doctors.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that NARD had issued a three-week strike notice that is expected to end on Jan. 2, 2017.

    The Public Relations Officer of the association, Dr Ugoeze Asinobi, told NAN in Yenagoa on Monday that the doctors had shelved the planned strike three times in the past four months and were bent on going n strike from January 2.

    Resident Doctors are agitating for a uniform template for the Residency Programme, infrastructure for tertiary health facilities, proper grading of doctors and payment of outstanding salaries amongst other issues

    “We don’t want strikes but we are going to have to resort to it again, the residency programme is fundamental to effective healthy care given the dearth of manpower as the country has less than 20 per cent of required experts.

    “Each time the ultimatum expired we shift it in the hope that things will be made right within the time given but it is now obvious the Ministry officials are insincere.

    “The issues we go on strike for are always the same issues and we are resolute to withdraw services come January 2 if our concerns are not addressed..

    “One wonders if health ministry officials are sabotaging the efforts of President Buhari on purpose as their brazen and blatant disregard to the most basic institutional needs of the major workhorses of the health sector leaves a lot to be desired.

    “Their attitude leaves one bewildered as sabotage appears to be the only logical explanation,” Asinobi said.

    He noted that officials of Federal Ministry of Health were playing politics with the lives of Nigerians as they were insensitive and disconnected from the realities the masses are facing in their daily lives.

    Asinobi said that NARD frowned at the wastage in building new primary health centres rather than rehabilitating, equipping and staffing existing ones with requisite manpower.

    The NARD spokesman explained that resident doctors had always embraced dialogue and discussions in finding lasting peace but regretted that their commitment to peace and industrial harmony was yet to be reciprocated.

    He said that the present executive of NARD remains committed to end the myriad of incursions adversely affecting the welfare of resident doctors.

    He appealed to the federal government to wade into the industrial dispute in the overall interest of the welfare of the citizenry. (NAN)