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Tag: MHWUN

  • NAFDAC workers vow to continue strike

    NAFDAC workers vow to continue strike

    The Medical and Health Workers Union of Nigeria (MHWUN), NAFDAC Branch, has vowed to continue its ongoing strike action till their demands are met.

    In an interview on Saturday in Kaduna, the Chairman of the chapter, Adetoboye Ayodeji, said it is left for the agency’s management to call the union for negotiation in order to see actionable evidence that things would be done appropriately.

    Workers of the agency began an indefinite strike on Oct. 7, to demand the review of the 2024 promotion examinations.

    The strike was also to address the allegations that the majority of the staff were not promoted as a result of the purported “vacancy slot” from the Head of Service, even when they all qualified to be promoted.

    Ayodeji also claimed that some statutory arrears and other benefits were not paid to some of the staff employed by the agency in 2022.

    He explained that the union’s had earlier signed an agreement with the government and NAFDAC management in 2022 bordering on the workers condition of service which ought to have been finalised.

    “The issues in the agreement were supposed to be settled in December 2022 but till date, none of the agreement have been complied to.

    “Allowances that are supposed to be approved on or before December 2022 have not been approved, the condition of service could not be approved,”he lamented.

    Ayodeji said the union had written several letters to the NAFDAC management regarding the concerns without adequate response.

    He also alleged that m in 2024, the agency did promotion examinations with many of the staff who passed the examinations not promoted.

    He added that the management’s claim was due to lack of vacancy.

    “Unfortunately the management was recruiting at the same time into the positions that they claim there was no vacancy while those that are rising through the ranks are not promoted, outsiders are brought to occupy the positions,” he alleged.

    Ayodeji wondered why not up to 220 staff were promoted in the examinations that were written by over 700 staff.

    “Only 36 per cent of participants in the examinations were promoted, we therefore said no, it is never possible.

    “They cannot promote less than 80 per cent of the participants. We rejected the entire promotion exercise and asked that more staff be promoted. There can never be motivation in an agency where 36 per cent of staff are only promoted.

    “It will have a devastating effect on the staff morale thereby affecting the health of the 200 million Nigerians,”he said.

    Speaking further, the chairman said part of the reason for their strike action was an issue of allowances in the staff salaries that was lingering for over 20 years.

    Ayodeji said the union had written to the NAFDAC management but no reason or explanation was given and even issued a two-weeks note before the strike but no response.

    Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, the NAFDAC’s Director-General, in a statement issued to NAN on Monday, denied all the claims.

    She claimed that the agency had been following the rules on payment of arrears and estacode, and reiterated its commitment to promoting the workers’ welfare.

  • Health workers threaten strike in support of ASUU

    Health workers threaten strike in support of ASUU

    The Medical and Health Workers Union of Nigeria (MHWUN), says it will go on a solidarity strike in support of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), and other unions.

    Mr Biobelemoye Josiah, MHWUN National President, issued the threat in a statement he jointly signed with Mr Auwalu Kiyawa, Acting Secretary General of the union, on Sunday in Abuja.

    The statement is entitled; “MHWUN stands in solidarity with the university based unions in the ongoing struggle to emancipate and reposition the public tertiary Institutions in Nigeria for progressive development’’.

    Recall that ASUU, and other unions in public universities, polytechnics and colleges of education, have been on industrial action for more than six months over alleged failure of the Federal Government to meet their demands.

    The unions are demanding funding of the revitalisation fund, earned allowances, implementation of the University Transparency Accountability Solution (UTAS) scheme, as well as promotion arrears.

    Other demands are; the renegotiation of 2009 ASUU-FG Agreement, and the resolution of inconsistency in the Integrated Personnel Payroll Information System (IPPIS), among others.

    Josiah said the leadership of the union condemned in strong terms the lethargic attitude of government in resolving the issues in contention

    He said: “In order to protect the future of our youths whose academic life is being disrupted, we call on the government to implement without further delay all the agreements it had entered with the unions.

    “We urge the relevant Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), to ensure that President Muhammadu Buhari’s earlier directive to resolve all outstanding issues with the unions is backed by immediate acceptable action that would end the stalemate.

    “MHWUN wishes to use this medium to unequivocally state that we firmly stand behind the university based unions and the clear position of Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), leadership in this historic struggle.

    “Our state councils have been put on red alert, and we will not hesitate to declare a solidarity strike in support of the unions if government fails to resolve the issues within a reasonable time, ’’he said.

    According to MHWUN, no responsible government will close down its public tertiary institutions over patriotic demands for a better funding of its universities and good welfare for its teaching and non-teaching staff.

    He described it as shameful, saying that the union was particularly irked that the Federal Government and the political actors had abandoned the children of the masses at home to waste away.

    “Instead, they are seen dissipating energy and resources that could have been used to resolve the issue to fund political tussles.

    “We are more worried with the development because the academic future of the citizenry is being disrupted.

    “Whereas the politicians and top government officials have their children mostly in well funded and equipped overseas schools or in relatively expensive private schools in Nigeria.

    “Discerning minds will agree with us that the negative impact of the strike to the future of our children and Nigeria in general cannot be quantified, ’’he said.

    Josiah called on people of goodwill to stand up in defence of the right and future of  children and Nigeria, by demanding that the government did the right thing to bring the children back to the classroom.

    Similarly, the union also categorically condemned in the strongest terms the spate of insecurity in the country.

    It noted that the rising orgies of killing, banditry, kidnapping for ransom, and extreme agitation for secession, had assumed a dangerous dimension.

    “Nigerian workers are no longer safe, both in their homes and at work places, as many have lost their lives to these enemies of state.

    “We therefore, demand for a resolute action from government to end this degrading assault on the sovereignty of our nation,’’ the president said.

    Also speaking on the current economic crisis, Josiah condemned the current scarcity of diesel, cooking gas, petrol and aviation fuel, and the rising prices of goods and services all over the country.

    He said that this pathetic development had further exposed workers, whose salaries and income has already been eroded by inflation, to greater hardships.

    “The situation reinforces the earlier call by the organised labour for a resolute action on domestic refining of petroleum,’’ he said.

    MHWUN, however, reiterated the union’s call for its members to ensure they registered and obtained their Permanent Voter’s Card.

  • Health workers question FG’s plan to pay salaries of private schools teachers

    Health workers question FG’s plan to pay salaries of private schools teachers

    The Medical and Health Workers Union of Nigeria (MHWUN) has questioned the plan by the federal government to pay salaries of private schools teachers affected by the Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic.

    The National President of the MHWUN, Comrade Josiah Biobelemoye in Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory questioned the rationale to pay salaries of private schools teachers when visited by the Chairman of the House of Representatives’ Committee on Health Services, Hon. Tanko Sununu.

    “We are doing so much and our people are showing so much understanding within this period because its COVID time but you can’t expect people to be patient all through forever.

    “Government said there is no money but they are planning to pay private school teachers who are not even under the employment of the government.

    “We that are in the forefront contending with the salvage how will you then explain to us government does not have the money to pay our deferred salaries of April and May 2018, and the withheld salaries in FMC Owerri, JUTH, LUTH and others. How will you convince us?

    “We are not against the government trying to help out private schools, but if you are helping the private schools why can’t you help us. Is it justifiable to keep the salaries of those who are in the war front?

    “We are appealing to the executive; quickly address these matters because they are ticking time bombs and they should not allow them to be detonated before they come to the rescue because any detonated bomb does not have positive results, its always negative,” the MHWUN president said.

    While making a case for increased funding of the health sector and budgetary provision to fund the salary adjustments, Biobelemoye commended the efforts and concern of the NASS in the welfare of healthcare workers.

    Meanwhile, the Chairman of the House of Representatives’ Committee on Health Services, Sununu said families of healthcare workers who died at the frontline of the COVID-19 will receive financial benefits.

    The lawmaker said the National Assembly (NASS) was still in the process of reviewing the manner of compensation that should be made available to the affected families.

    “We are not unmindful of our health workers in the frontline who paid the ultimate price. This is why we are working out a plan to compensate their families. A committee has been set up.

    “We will call for a public hearing where the strategy and method to be used in disbursing the compensations will be agreed on. The families of the deceased will be located and we must ensure the money reaches them.

    “Our aim is to ensure there is no disharmony anymore in the health sector. We are reaching out to major stakeholders and negotiating their demands to ensure health workers continue with their work with no hitches or grievances,” the lawmaker said.