The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Strike

  • Union threatens strike over N12m fund

    THE Abia State Council of Medical and Health Workers’ Union of Nigeria [MHWUN] has threatened to embark on a strike against the management of Abia State University Teaching Hospital (ABSUTH) over non payment of its worker’s check off dues, which is alleged to have been used to pay workers’ salary.

    The union said the Chief Medical Director (CMD) of ABSUTH, Dr Uwa Iweha, is not qualified to manage the affairs of the hospital, as he has no right to allegedly use the check off dues of its members to offset the salary arrears of the workers of the hospital, instead of paying it to the union.

    Speaking during a press briefing on the activities marking this year’s health workers week, the state chairman of MHWUN, Uchenna Obigwe, said they have exhausted all avenues available to them to no avail and that the strike will commence after their health week celebration.

    Obigwe said that the amount which is N12 million has not been paid and that they are requesting the CMD to pay the money without delay, “else, he will start working on how to manage a strike that will come to the hospital,” he said.

    When contacted, the CMD was said to be out of town for an official assignment. However, a staff in his office denied the allegation, saying that the union was being economical with the truth.

     

  • Osun workers suspend strike

    The four-day warning strike ordered by the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Trade Union Congress (TUC) and Joint Negotiating Council (NJC) in Osun State was yesterday suspended.

    The workers suspended the strike around 5pm after an emergency congress at Fakunle Comprehensive High School, Osogbo, which lasted several hours.

    NJC Chairman Mr. Bayo Adejumo said the suspension was to allow negotiation with the state government.

    TUC Chairman Mr. Francis Adetunji urged workers to be patient with the labour leaders, adding that they would continue to demand the full implementation of the minimum wage across board.

    Activities in government establishments were paralysed yesterday, which was the first day of the strike.

    The few workers that reported at their duty posts left when they heard that their colleagues at the congress were coming to chase them out of their offices.

    Many offices in the state secretariat in Osogbo were closed.

    Public primary and secondary school teachers shunned work and pupils had to return home.

    The state government is about to set up a negotiating team to dialogue with labour.

    In its reply to the labour leaders’ letter on March 27, the government, through the Ministry of Human Resources and Capacity Building, said negotiation would begin on April 15.

    The Permanent Secretary, Mr. L.O. Oyeniran, said the team would meet at the Exco chambers by 11am.

    Labour’s representatives on the negotiating team are: Adejumo; Adetunji; NLC Chairman Saka Adesiyan; JNC Secretary R.A. Adeyemi; NLC Secretary G.A. Bolarinwa; the Secretary of the National Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE), Mr. Segun Netufo; Amalgamated Union of Public Corporations, Civil Service, Technical and Recreation Service Employees (AUPCTRE) Secretary M.A. Adediji and Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria (ASCSN) Secretary, Mr. S.O. Koleoso.

     

  • Osun NLC, JNC, TUC to meet today on proposed strike

    Osun NLC, JNC, TUC to meet today on proposed strike

    •Labour may suspend strike 

    Three labour leaders in Osun State yesterday explained why they called for a four-day warning strike.

    The congress, they said, will meet today on whether to go on with the strike or suspend it.

    The Chairman of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Alhaji Saka Adesiyan; Chairman of the Joint Negotiating Council (NJC) Bayo Adejumo and the Chairman of the Trade Union Congress (TUC), Francis Adetunji, said it was to remind the state government of its agreement with workers 19 months ago.

    They spoke with reporters at the NLC Secretariat in Osogbo, the state capital.

    Reacting to calls by some labour leaders urging members to ignore the proposed strike, Adesiyan said the congress would meet today to decide whether or not to suspend the strike.

    He said several attempts to get the governor’s attention failed, hence the decision to go on a warning strike.

    Adesiyan said after two meetings with Governor Rauf Aregbesola on the implementation of the minimum wage for senior civil servants, the governor called for negotiation.

    He said: “Since January, nothing concrete has been done to set up the committee and several warning letters were sent to the government as reminders. Based on the government’s non-compliance, labour was constrained to issue the notice of a warning strike to press home workers’ demands.”

    Adejumo, who was accused of being a retired federal worker, said he still has over five years to spend in service.

    He said he, Adesiyan and Adetunji are the recognised labour leaders and not “disgruntled elements in the labour movement, who are fighting for their personal interests”.

    Adetunji denied knowing one of those dissociating themselves from the proposed strike.

    Mrs. Tola Nosegbe, who said she is the Vice-Chairman of TUC, is one of those dissociating themselves from the proposed strike.

    Adetunji said Mrs. Nosegbe works with the Nigeria Postal Service (NIPOST) in Akure, Ondo State, and cannot speak for Osun workers.

    On Sunday, some labour leaders, including the Chairman of the Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria, Comrade Akinyemi Olatunji; leader of the Medical and Health Workers Union, Comrade Femi Adebisi and TUC Vice-Chairman Comrade Tola Nosegbe, and others dissociated their unions from the proposed strike and urged workers to disregard it.

  • Judicial workers suspend strike

    The Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria (JUSUN) in Abuja on Tuesday suspended its two-day old strike.

    The News Agency of Nigeria reports that JUSUN embarked on strike on Monday to demand for the implementation of CONJUSS for federal judicial workers.

    This contained in a communiqué issued at the end of a meeting it held with the Minister of Labour and Productivity, Chief Emeka Wogu, officials Nigeria Labour Congress and leaders of JUSUN.

    Others at the meeting include Office of the Head of Service of the Federation and National Salaries, Income and Wages Commission.

    The statement was signed by JUSUN National President Marwan Adamu, its Secretary, I.M Adetola and Mr. Onyia M. Onyia, NLC’s Assistant General Secretary, Occupational Health/Safety, for labour, respectively.

    The Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Labour and Productivity, Dr. O.C Illoh, the Director, Administration, Federal Judicial Service Commission, Lawan Mani, and S.U. Ukut of National Salaries Income and Wages Commission, signed for Federal Government.

    The Federal Government officials and labour leaders agreed that a committee would be set up to identify the peculiarities associated with the job performed by JUSUN members.

    It stated that the salary structure review should be subjected to the holistic outcome of the White Paper on the Report of the Presidential Salary Harmonisation Committee under the Chairmanship of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation.

    The communiqué gave a time frame of five months for the process of the White Paper as well as the realisation of issues leading to the issuance of a Circular on the wage.

     

     

  • Osun lecturers to continue strike

    Osun lecturers to continue strike

    Striking lecturers in the four state-owned tertiary institutions in Osun State have vowed to remain at home until the government yields to their demands.

    The institutions are: The State Polytechnic, Ire; Osun College of Technology, Esa-Oke and the Colleges of Education in Ilesa and Ila-Orangun.

    The Public Relations Officer (PRO) of the Council of Academic Staff Union of Tertiary Institutions in Osun State, Mr. Dotun Omisore, said the lecturers went on a warning strike before the latest development.

    The strike has grounded academic activities and students were forced to vacate the campuses.

    The lecturers are demanding, among other things, the elongation of the retirement age of academic staff from 60 to 65 years.

    They are also demanding payment of the contributory pension.

    They claimed 7.5 per cent of it has not been paid by the state government.

    Governor Rauf Aregebsola urged the House of Assembly to plead with the lecturers to reason with the government.

    At a retreat organised for the lawmakers at MicCOM Golf Resort in Ada, Aregbesola urged the Assembly to intervene in the matter.

    He insisted that reason must be allowed to prevail, adding that some of the issues raised by the lecturers need to be re-examined.

    Aregbesola said: “Stakeholders of any affected interest must not contravene the dictates of the constitution because of their personal interest. A demand for shift in the retirement age of civil servants has been addressed by the law and cannot be changed without constitutional amendment.”

     

  • ‘95% of RSUST lecturers abandoned strike’

    ‘95% of RSUST lecturers abandoned strike’

    The Rivers State University of Science and Technology (RSUST) said 95 per cent of members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) have resumed academic work in spite of the ongoing strike by the lecturers.

    The University’s spokesman, Mr. Desmond Wosu, told the News Agency of Nigeria in a chat in Port Harcourt on Tuesday that ASUU had declared media war against the university.

    He alleged that the union had resorted to portraying the university in a negative manner so as to publicly undermine its credibility.

    Wosu was reacting to a call by the leadership of ASUU for the state government to set-up a panel of inquire to establish the legality of the reappointment of Prof. Barineme Fakae as Vice-Chancellor.

    He said the call by ASUU was regrettable, especially as Governor Chibuike Amaechi had encouraged the union to seek court redress if it felt that the reappointment exercise lacked transparency.

    He said, “I think what the national leadership of ASUU should do is, if they want legal interpretation of what Governor Amaechi had done; is to go to a competent court of jurisdiction, instead of blackmail and campaign of calumny against Amaechi and the management of this university.

    “For ASUU to continue to blackmail us and wage media war against this university is unfortunate because more than 95 per cent of academic staff have come back to work after realising that it was unnecessary for them to have embarked on the strike in the first place.

    “We appeal to ASUU to sheathe their swords and prevail on its members, who are out there to come back to work because Amaechi performed his civic responsibility of appointing a vice-chancellor for this university.”

     

  • Fashola wants federal judicial workers to end strike

    Fashola wants federal judicial workers to end strike

    Governor Babatunde Fashola of Lagos State on Tuesday appealed to federal judicial workers to give peace a chance and end their ongoing strike.

    Fashola made the appeal at the inauguration of the Lagos State Judicial Service Commission (JSC) office complex at Ikeja, Lagos.

    The News Agency of Nigeria recalls that the judicial workers had on March 11, began an indefinite strike over the non-implementation of the Consolidated Judiciary Salary Structure (CONJUSS) by the Federal Government.

    “I make an appeal on behalf of litigants and on behalf of people who seek justice that we should quickly put an end to the strike.

    “It does our country no good and does not afford the people access to justice.

    “Whatever the issues may be, I believe that negotiation will make a way for us,’’ Fashola said.

    According to him, the complex, which is dedicated to a former Chief Judge of the state, late Justice Adetunji Adefarasin, is a demonstration of his administration’s commitment to an efficient justice system.

    “It says so many things about the commitment of the Lagos State Government to the support of a strong judiciary as a necessary and indispensable institution for the enthronement and defence of rights in our democracy.’’

    Fashola said that access to justice in the state had also improved, following sittings by its magistrates’ courts on Saturdays.

    Earlier, the Chief Judge of the state, Justice Ayotunde Phillips, said the improvement in facilities in the sector would ensure quick dispensation of justice.

    “This only goes to show the administration’s commitment to a most effective, efficient and vibrant judiciary, adequately funded and equipped, to meet the growing challenges and dynamism of modern society.’’

     

  • National Hospital staff suspend strike

    National Hospital staff suspend strike

    Striking National Hospital workers have suspended their industrial action after the expiration of the ultimatum issued the management of the hospital to address their grievances.

    The workers embarked on a three- day warning strike last Tuesday to protest alleged “disregard and the non-implementation of the National Hospital’s condition of service.”

    The three-day warning protest, which ended on Thursday, did not, however, yield the desired result as the hospital management refused to shift ground leading to the declaration of the strike action.

    According to Kilani Jelili, chairman Senior Staff Union of National Hospital, “the continuous disregard for public service rules, the schemes of service of other health professionals as well as the setting aside of our approved condition of service by the management team of the National Hospital has been a source of serious concern to our members.”

    He hinted the workers are also against the continuous stay in office of the Hospital’s Director of Administration, Mr. James Odiba, beyond the 35 years stipulated by the Civil Service Rule.

    The workers, it was gathered, however, suspended the action after meeting with the ministry and the management of the hospital over the weekend for about eight hours.

    It was gathered the intervention of the Permanent Secretary in the Federal Ministry of Health, Mrs. Fatimah Bamidele, played a great part in the suspension of the strike.

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

  • Judiciary workers give govt 21 days strike notice

    The Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria (JUSUN) has given a 21-day strike notice to the Federal Government over non-implementation of the Consolidated Salary Structure for Judiciary Workers (CONJUSS).

    The notice is contained in a communiqué by Mr Marwan Mustapha, the union’s National President and Mr Issah Adetola, the General Secretary in Abuja.

    They said the decision was reached at the end of the union’s National Executive Committee (NEC) in Minna.

    They said unless steps were taken to implement the CONJUSS, the union had no choice but to shut the courts.

    They said failure to comply with the notice could lead to an industrial crisis in the federal courts.

    It condemned the actions government agencies and stakeholders, saying that they frustrate the implementation of the scheme.

    “National officers will be overseeing the full compliance of JUSUN members during the strike, until the government fully complies with the salary structure,“ the communique said.

    NEC urged states that are yet to comply with the payment of CONJUSS to do so to avoid disruption of judicial services in their states.

    “This is because JUSUN will pursue the implementation of the salary structure in all the states of the federation,“ it said.

    The NEC commended Justice Suleiman Dikko, the new Chief of Nasarawa State, for resolving the lingering face-off between the branch executive and the management.

    NEC reaffirmed the position of the union’s amended constitution on the tenure of the national and state executive committee of JUSUN for four years, adding that it instructed its branches to comply.

    Mustapha, in an earlier statement, warned that the union should not be held responsible for any breach of industrial harmony in the sector in 2013.

    He had lamented the fact that government was taking the union’s peaceful and sensitive nature for weakness.

    He said that several agreements signed with the union had been jettisoned by government.

    He said: “We want to congratulate Nigerians for seeing us through 2012 in spite of several challenges faced.

    It said it believed that the year would be better. It appealed to the government to step up on its promises to Nigerians by ensuring the protection of their lives and properties.

    “Another burning issue is the non-implementation of the CONJUSS to federal courts which has been foot-dragging for a while.

    ‘’We are afraid that we cannot guarantee industrial peace in all the courts across the country in 2013, if nothing is done to solve this issue,”he added.

  • TSS: Ogun moves to avert teachers’ strike

    TSS: Ogun moves to avert teachers’ strike

     

    The Ogun Commissioner for Education, Mr. Segun Odubela, on Friday assured that teachers in the state would not go on strike over the unpaid 27.5 per cent increase in the Teachers’ Salary Structure.

    Odubela spoke against the backdrop of plans by the Nigeria Union of Teachers to declare a strike in the nine states that are yet to implement the structure.

    NUT’s deadline for the implementation of TSS expired on January 31.

    The governors’ forum had in 2009 agreed to implement the new salary structure in their states.

    A three-day national warning strike was observed in 2012.

    Odubela told the News Agency of Nigeria in Abeokuta that“There is nothing like strike in Ogun; we are already addressing the issues pertaining to the TSS.

    “I can tell you that we are in touch with the NUT and the Academic Staff Union of Secondary Schools Teachers (ASUSSET).

    “When you talk about strike, it is a procedure. The union must first write to us and give us a notice to go on strike. Then, we will sit down and look at it.”

    The commissioner, however, promised that the government would ensure that quality education was provided in the state.

    “We are really working to achieve quality education in the schools,’’ Odubela, a lawyer, said.

    Teachers, who spoke to NAN on condition of anonymity, appealed to the state government to look into the matter without further delay.