TheNewsGuru

Tag: Strike

  • Strike not imminent, if… – ASUU

    Strike not imminent, if… – ASUU

    The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has said that strike is not imminent, if the Federal Government implements the agreements reached, in the next two weeks.

    Prof Emmanuel Osodeke, President of ASUU said this in an interview with NAN on Monday.

    It would be recalled that ASUU had threatened to embark on strike over the non-implementation of agreements reached with the federal government.

    The Minister of Education, Prof. Tahir Mamman had on June 26, invited the union for a meeting to deliberate on the lingering issues affecting universities and to avert the planned strike.

    Osodeke said none of the agreements reached with the Federal Government had been implemented.

    “At the meeting called by the Minister of Education, we agreed that after two weeks, we will meet to see the progress the government has made.

    “We will also see what we will do next, if government fail to implement the agreements reached.

    “The meeting in the next two weeks is to see what they have done which will inform our decision,” he said.

    The ASUU president said some of the demands included, the non implementation of the 2009 re-negotiated agreements.

    He said the agreements had lingered for over six years and government was yet to implement them.

    Osodeke said the academic allowances due to their members had also accumulated for over six years and nothing had been done about it

    On the issue of revitalisation fund, he said they agreed on the NEEDs Assessment Report to raise N200 billion yearly, for five years.

    “Since 2013, only one has been paid. We need revitalisation fund to upgrade our universities to standard, so that we can be having students and lecturers from outside the country,” he said.

    Oshodeke added that the government was yet to stop the proliferation of universities adding that many new universities were being approved without fund to run them.

    He said the government was also yet to exit the university salary payment from Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System!(IPPIS) as approved by the Federal Executive Council in January

    He said their members were still being paid by IPPIS against the directive by the FEC.

  • Strike: FG, ASUU in closed-door meeting

    Strike: FG, ASUU in closed-door meeting

    The Federal Government delegation and the leadership of Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), are in closed door meeting to discuss lingering crisis and avert strike by the Union.

    The meeting holding on Thursday in the office of the Minister of Education, Prof. Tahir Mamman,commenced at about 4.30p.m.

    The Minister of State for Education, Dr Yusuf Sununu and other top officials in the ministry are in the federal government” team

    The ASUU President, Emmanuel Osodeke, who led the union’s delegation told newsmen that the meeting was to deliberate on lingering issues affecting the universities to avert the planned strike actions.

    “There are a lot of issues that are outstanding within the system and we believe that before now, they would have been takwn care of.

    ‘The issues would have been resolved in line with the promise made by President Bola Tinubu and there will not be strike in the university system.

    “We hope that this meeting will be able to resolve some of these issues so that we can move forward as a country as well as our university system,” he said.

    Earlier, the Minister of Education, Prof. Tahir Mamman, said the meeting would provide an opportunity for both parties to rub minds on issues affecting the university system.

    Mamman said that ASUU had earlier written to the ministry, detailing a number of issues and concerns affecting the universities and the union.

    He said that the issues required interactions between the union and government officials to avert any strike proposed by the union.

    NAN reports that the closed door meeting is still ongoing as at the time of filing this report.

    ASUU had threatened to embark on a nationwide strike over the federal government’s failure to meet its demands.

    Osodeke had charged the government to act within two weeks to address all outstanding demands by the union.

  • IPMAN strike in Adamawa: petrol price hit N2,000 per litre

    IPMAN strike in Adamawa: petrol price hit N2,000 per litre

    The Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) Adamawa/Taraba chapter, has expressed resolve to continue its ongoing strike even as petrol sells N2,000 per liter.

    The IPMAN Chairman, Alhaji Dahiru Buba, who stated this in an interview in Yola on Tuesday, said that the strike was occasioned by incessant harassment of its members and illegal seizures of their tankers carrying petrol by officers of the Nigeria Custom Service (NCS).

    He said, customs officers had abandoned their designated areas of operation at the borders and were now targeting legitimate businesses in metropolitan and local government areas.

    According to him, these have lead to financial losses, artificial scarcity and hike in products’ prices and the strike is continue until NCS stop their activities.

    The strike and attendant high cost of petrol  has resulted in low vehicular movements on the roads.

    Abubakar Muhammed, a resident, told NAN that workers and other commuters now find it difficult to get transport to their offices and destinations.

    Muhammad explained that this was due to the sharp rise in transport fares as commuters now pay N700 instead of N300 for a drop.

    Most fuel stations in Yola are  closed and motorists can only source petrol from black markets in some parts of the metropolis and state.

    Recall that on June 10, the Comptroller-General of the NCS, Adewale Adeniyi, during a news briefing in Yola, solicited support and cooperation of all stakeholders in the fight against smuggling, especially of petrol.

    He said that smuggling of petroleum products across the country’s borders was a sabotage of the Nigeria’s economy.

    Adeniyi therefore solicited the cooperation and support of all Nigerians with security agencies to curb the menace.

  • Oyo health workers begin 7-day warning strike today

    Oyo health workers begin 7-day warning strike today

    Medical and health workers in Oyo State will, on Monday (today), begin a seven-day warning strike to press home their demands.

    President of the state chapter of Medical and Health Workers’ Union of Nigeria (MHWUN), Mr John Fabunmi, disclosed this in Ibadan on Sunday.

    Fabunmi said that the warning strike would be observed by members of the union in all the health institutions across the state, including those in the ministries, departments and local government councils.

    He said that the industrial action had become imperative in order to press home their demands.

    The labour leader said that the union had reminded the state government of its grievances several times, but that nothing had been done to address their demands.

    “Part of the union’s demands is that the new hazard allowance in the state be spread to cover all other health workers in the state, and not only those working in the hospitals.

    “Another demand is that some of our members removed from the Consolidated Health Salary Structure (CONHESS) be returned and those who have not been placed on the CONHESS be included.

    “We wish to let Gov. Seyi Makinde know that up till now, nothing has been done to address these demands, even after we had given the state government a 14-day ultimatum,” he said.

    Fabunmi said that the 14-day ultimatum elapsed on June 21, adding that up till now, nothing had been heard from the government.

    “In view of the present situation and the agitations from our members, the union has, therefore, resolved to embark on a seven-day warning strike to further call the attention of the government to the need to attend to our agitations.

    “Our members in all the health institutions, ministries and local governments will be participating in the warning strike which will commence on Monday, June 24,” he said.

    Nurses and midwives in the state had, on May 21, embarked on indefinite strike, in compliance with the directive of the state chapter of National Association of Nigeria Nurses and Midwives (NANNM).

    The union, through its state Chairman, Adeyemi Samuel, had cited failure of the state government to address its demands as the reason for calling for the strike.

    The industrial action embarked on the nurses and midwives had been taking its toll on the health sector, as the usual boisterous nature in most of the hospitals in the state had disappeared.

  • Ogun doctors threaten strike

    Ogun doctors threaten strike

    The Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), Ogun chapter, says it will go on strike over poor working conditions at the expiration of the 21-day ultimatum issued to the state government.

    The association’s chairman, Dr Kunle Ashimi, said at a news conference in Abeokuta on Friday that the ultimatum, issued on June 7, would expire on Thursday.

    According to Ashimi, members will have no choice but to embark on strike unless the government addresses their concerns.

    He mentioned the non-payment of the reviewed CONMESS salary scale and failure to recruit new doctors as some of the issues requiring government attention.

    He noted that despite ongoing discussions with relevant government officials, there had only been verbal assurances without official commitments.

    He, therefore, urged the citizens of Ogun to call on the government to take necessary steps to prevent the looming strike, which would disrupt healthcare services across the state.

    “The State Executive Council of NMA Ogun issued a 21-day ultimatum to the state government on June 7, which will elapse on June 27.

    “This indicated that industrial harmony may not be guaranteed after this date as the pressure of work on the few doctors holding forth is yielding dire consequences.

    “Ongoing conversations with relevant government officers only came with verbal assurances but no official commitment yet.

    “Concerned affiliates of NMA Ogun have been engaging the government on the need to commence the payment of the reviewed CONMESS salary scale for doctors in the state in order to motivate and retain those who have not left and to attract new ones.

    “We use this opportunity to call on well-meaning citizens of Ogun state to impress upon the Ogun government to do the needful to avert any industrial action,” Ashimi said.

    The NMA chief said Babcock University Teaching Hospital witnessed a monthly electricity bill surge between N80 million and N100 million to N300 million.

    He called for concessions to be given to health institutions to prevent increased costs from being passed onto patients, potentially making healthcare inaccessible for many.

    “While we appreciate the zeal of the government to develop the energy sector, we appeal strongly that concessions be given to health institutions.

    “These humongous tariffs will eventually be passed on to our poor patients, thereby driving them further away from access to appropriate healthcare services,” he said

    On the Cholera outbreak, Ashimi said there were ongoing sensitisation programmes by the association in collaboration with the Ministry of Health and various media organisations.

    He stressed the importance of preventive measures and provided contact numbers as released by the Commissioner for Health, Dr Tomi Coker, to report suspected cholera cases.

    He said the cases would be treated free of charge at designated facilities.

    “We use this opportunity to appeal to our people to imbibe preventive measures for the prevention of the spread of Cholera.

    “This includes avoiding open defecation, avoiding indiscriminate refuse dumping, washing hands regularly, washing fruits and vegetables well before consuming and treating water before consuming it, either by boiling or treating it with chemical purifying agents.

    “We advocate that where there is no wherewithal to do this, two drops of plain household bleach in a litre of water can be a good alternative.

    “We also implore schools to monitor food, fruit and snack vendors around the schools to ensure that they practice proper hygiene.

    “As well, schools should reintroduce handwashing stations like it was done during the COVID-19 period,” he said.

  • NASU, SSANU threaten strike, give 2-week ultimatum

    NASU, SSANU threaten strike, give 2-week ultimatum

    Two unions in tertiary institutions say they cannot guarantee industrial harmony if the federal government fails to pay their four months withheld salaries in two weeks.

    The unions are the Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions (NASU) and the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU).

    The unions, under the Joint Action Committee (JAC), made their position known in a letter addressed to the Minister of Education, Prof. Tahir Mamman, on Thursday, in Abuja.

    The letter titled, “Re-Four months withheld salaries: Demand for immediate payment,” was signed by NASU General Secretary, Mr Peters Adeyemi and SSANU President, Mr Mohammed Ibrahim.

    The unions, in the letter, recalled that the JAC of NASU and SSANU had embarked on a one week warning strike between March 18 and March 24.

    “This is to protest the denial of the arrears of four months salaries withheld between May and August 24, 2022.

    “Following series of letters and the assurances of the payment, we write to remind the Honourable Minister of our various letters, engagements, assurances towards the payment of the four (4) months withheld salaries of SSANU and NASU.

    “We wish to express our regrets and dismay that up till date, the withheld salaries have not been paid to our members.

    “We view it as an act of insincerity and neglect on the part of government to the yearnings and aspirations of our members,”it said.

    The unions said that the government had negated the spirit of collective bargaining and built distrust.

    They added that the deafening silence of government and failure to pay the withheld salaries was creating high level of agitation and contention among their members in the Universities and Inter-University Centres.

    “This is such that we can no longer guarantee industrial peace and harmony on university campuses.

    “We, therefore, demand the immediate payment of the four months withheld salaries to our members not later than two weeks from the date of this correspondence, failing which we will be left with no option than to shut down the Universities and Inter-University Centres,”it said.

  • BREAKING: Labour opens up on resuming strike tomorrow

    BREAKING: Labour opens up on resuming strike tomorrow

    The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has declared organised labour will not resume strike tomorrow (Tuesday) to further press the government for increase in minimum wage paid workers in the country.

    TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports NLC President, Joe Ajaero made this known on Monday at a labour conference organised by the International Labour Organisation in Geneva, Switzerland.

    Recall that organised labour relaxed for one-week the indefinite nationwide strike declared last Monday to allow continuation of negotiations.

    Labour had declared an indefinite nationwide strike, midnight of June 2, to press home its demands of  non conclusion of national minimum wage fixing and non reversal of hike in electricity tariff.

    Labour relaxed the indefinite strike, following the resolution by the federal government to offer more than the N60,000, it put forward to the tripartite committee.

    The government had presented a N62,000 minimum wage to labour, following renewed negotions. However, labour had pegged it demand on N250,000.

    Speaking in Geneva, Ajaero ruled out labour will resume the strike on Tuesday, stressing that organised labour is waiting for the pronouncement of President Bola Tinubu on the matter.

    “The tripartite committee submitted two figures to the President. Government and employers proposed N62,000 while labour proposed N250,000. We are waiting for the decision of the President. Our National Executive Council (NEC) will deliberate on the new figure when it is out.

    “We cannot declare strike now because the figures are with the President. We will wait for the President’s decision. During the tenure of the immediate past President, the figure that was proposed to him was N27,000 by the tripartite committee but he increased it to N30,000.

    “We are hopeful that this President will do the right thing. The President had noted that the difference between N62,000 and N250,000 is a wide gulf,” Ajaero said.

  • Lagos doctors threaten strike

    Lagos doctors threaten strike

    Doctors under the aegis of the Medical Guild have appealed to the Lagos State Government to expedite the implementation of the reviewed Consolidated Medical Salary Scale (CONMESS) for medical doctors in the state.

    The Medical Guild is the association of doctors under the employment of the Lagos State Government.

    Dr Moruf Abdulsalam, Chairman, Medical Guild, made the appeal during a news conference on Wednesday in Lagos.

    CONMESS is the salary scale being paid to all Medical and Dental practitioners across the Federation. CONMESS was adopted to prevent internal brain drain and rural-urban migration among doctors.

    Abdulsalam expressed dissatisfaction over the slow bureaucratic bottlenecks causing delay in the implementation of the reviewed CONMESS wage increase in Lagos.

    He noted that colleagues in the employment of the Federal government had already started enjoying the payment since February 2024, with its accrued arrears.

    The chairman recalled that resolution reached at its General Assembly meeting held on April 27, resolved to give the state government four weeks timeline to assent and implement the CONMESS wage.

    Abdulsalam noted that the Medical Guild Representative Council, at her meeting of June 2, expressed strong dissatisfaction over the slow pace of progress on the implementation of the reviewed CONMESS wage.

    He disclosed that the Council resolved that the association should declare an industrial dispute over the slow pace of work and bureaucratic bottlenecks delaying the implementation of the reviewed CONMESS wage.

    “⁠That the Association should further give the government three weeks period in line with the resolution reached by the General Assembly.

    “⁠That the Officers’ Committee should escalate and call a General Assembly of the medical Guild at the Secretariat at the expiration of the three weeks to decide the next line of action,” he said.

    Abdulsalam noted that the practice of medicine had become a globally competitive profession with a resultant migration of medical personnel to environment with better remuneration and improved conditions of service among other push factors.

    “Recently too, there has been a rural to urban migration of doctors but more worrisome to the medical Guild is the spate of resignation of our doctors from the employment of the Health Service Commission, LASUTH and Primary Healthcare Board, to private medical practice or Federal hospitals.

    “This is due to poor remuneration, excessive workload and poor service conditions.

    “This has tilted many of our colleagues into chronic fatigue, mental illnesses and burnout syndrome,” he said.

    He disclosed that a recent online survey conducted by the Guild which 940 of its members responded, showed that 91 per cent of doctors reported manpower shortage in the department and hospitals where they work.

    According to him, 59 per cent reported an increase in the number of call duties being undertaken by them in the last one year, 86 per cent reported being overworked and 54 per cent reported low morale.

    “Not surprisingly too, there has been a surge in mental illness among our doctors mainly from the excessive workload and poor conditions of service,” he said.

    He recalled that doctors sustained the provision of critical services to citizens at the peak of COVID-19 pandemic, while other workers continued to work from home.

    Abdulsalam further said that the state recently rolled out free antenatal and delivery services, provision of bi-weekly community health mission over three months as part of measures to ameliorate economic hardship on citizens.

    “Also, while other civil servants were granted the respite to work from home on some days of the week, the doctors remained within the confines of the hospital every day of the week because of a “special calanderisation” exists within the health sector!

    “From the foregoing, it is apparent that the doctors have now become part of the palliative deployed to cater for the health needs of the good people of Lagos State without themselves being considered for commensurate compensation to survive the progressively heavy workload that these policy initiatives thrust upon them.

    “This is in addition to the regular workload thrust upon them as clinicians and leaders of the healthcare team,” he said.

  • Reps differ over labour’s approach to indefinite strike

    Reps differ over labour’s approach to indefinite strike

    The House of Representatives has demanded a living wage for Nigerian workers rather than the Federal Government’s proposed minimum wage.

    The lawmakers,  however,  differed on the approach adopted by organised labour during the two-day strike by shutting down the national grid and closing the nation’s airports and  health sector.

    Rep. Ali Jesi (APC-Gombe) had moved a motion in Abuja on Tuesday on the urgent  need to consider the  imperatives of fixing a living wage for Nigerian workers to ameliorate current economic hardship.

    Presenting his motion, the lawmaker commended the labour unions for their commitment toward negotiating a new minimum wage for Nigerian workers at such critical period and resolved to call off the strike in the interim.

    He said that in line with the provisions of Section 3(4) of the Act, the extant minimum wage which commenced on April 18, 2019 has expired after five years on April 18, 2024.

    He, however, called for a further review of the existing Act.

    Contributing to the debate, Rep Aliu Madaki (NNPP-Kano),  noted that what the Nigerian workers needed was a living wage and not a minimum wage.

    He added that the Federal Government should be able to pay the living wage,  considering the economic situation in the country.

    Rep. Kingsley Chinda, Minority Leader of the house said: “Can we say as  leaders,  we have carried out the purpose of governance which is hinged on security and the welfare of the people.

    “Have we provided these basic needs which is our primary purpose of being elected, can someone who is earning N50, 000 depend on such with the high cost of house rent,?”

    According to him, we must be realistic by providing living wage for workers, it is sad that the government is proposing a minimum wage.

    He, however, cautioned the labour unions against   overstepping boundaries, adding that switching off national grid was not in the interest of the people they are fighting for.

    “Some people are on life support at the hospital; some were at the airport to board flight but could not make it due to the strike.”

    He urged the lawmakers to expedite action on the yet to be proposed minimum wage amendment bill once it was brought before it.

    “Let us pass the minimum wage bill with the speed at which we pass the national anthem, the bill should be recalled and passed  with the speed of light.”

    Rep. Stanley Adedeji (APC-Oyo) said that  following the shutting down of the national grid as a result of the strike, there was need to criminalise such act.

    According to him, you cannot go on industrials action and kill people.

    Rep. Benjamin Kalu, the Deputy Speaker of the house, who presided over plenary,  said that people who were on essential services should not go on strike.

    He said  it was against the law for electricity workers, hospitals, airports among others to go on strike.

    He added that embarking on strike by those mentioned could have  negative effects and disrupted activities.

    Adopting the motion, the house urged government to redirect the focus of the negotiations from fixing a new minimum wage to fixing a realistic living wage for Nigerians,

    The house further urged the government to consider the downward review of electricity tariff, to reduce the suffering of Nigerians.

    The house also  referred the matter to the its Committee on Labour and Employment, to get back to it in one week.

  • Strike: Operations restart at Abuja airport

    Strike: Operations restart at Abuja airport

    Aviation workers have restarted operations at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport (NAIA), Abuja, following the suspension of the indefinite strike by the organised labour.

    Mr Samuel Wuyep, Chairman of Air Transport Services Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (ATSSAN), Abuja chapter, disclosed on Tuesday that passengers had started coming into the domestic wing to check-in.

    It would be recalled that labour had declared an indefinite nationwide strike, midnight of June 2, to press home its demands of  non conclusion of national minimum wage fixing and non reversal of hike in  electricity tariff.

    However, in a communiqué jointly issued by the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC), the organised labour said it had relaxed the strike for one-week, to allow continuation of negotiations

    Wuyep disclosed that following the suspension of the strike, normalcy had returned to the airport and it was fully opened for operations.

    “There are few scheduled flights that will be operated in the remaining hours of the day, so they have started checking-in  passengers.

    “Though, the traffic is very low, a lot of people came in the morning and observed that the locked -up exercise was still ongoing, so they decided to go back.

    “Some who managed to wait, got their flights rescheduled, and were told when to come back, “ he said.

    According to him, many cabin crew and pilots we nore seen working toward the expected arrival of airplanes in order to continue normal flying to other airports.

    Wuyep mentioned Value Jet, Ibom Air, Air peace and United Nigeria Airlines , among local flights that had arrived Abuja today.

    The union leader said the strike could not affect the international flights as the strike was called off before the end of the time given.

    “In the international wing, since the frame time that we gave to them would elapse today ,being June 4, the international airlines came in the morning, disembarked their passengers.

    “While they were disembarking their passengers, coincidentally, the strike was called off and some of them that were on ground decided to check-in the passengers, and normal businesses continued.

    “Everything is okay. The airport has returned to its normal businesses.  The international Airlines that arrived in the morning were Ethiopia airline, Egypt Air, among others at the international wing,“ he said.

    According to him, more international airlines are expected later in the day as the skies were opened, and the processes of check-in were on.

    Wuyep advised passengers that had scheduled flights to contact the airline toward processing their travelling documents for the  trip.