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Tag: Strike

  • Resident doctors threaten fresh nationwide strike

    Resident doctors threaten fresh nationwide strike

    The National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) has threatened to go on strike over the failure of the Federal Government to address their demands and implement the agreements reached with the association since last year.

    In a communique issued on Tuesday and signed by NARD President, Dr Uyilawa Okhuaihesuyi, after a virtual National Executive Meeting, the association resolved to proceed on a recess after their if their demands are not acceded to by the government.

    Among their demands include the immediate payment of the salaries of members, the payment of all minimum wage and other salary arrears to its members nationwide without further delay and the immediate implementation of 50% of consolidated basic Salary as Hazard allowance for all healthcare workers.

    Others are the immediate payment of the Medical Residency Fund for 2021 with the arrears of 2019 and 2020 inclusive, that all training institutions be directed to stop the collection of Bench Fee from its members since it was not captured in the Residency Training Fund as approved, and that all clinical health workers be considered for COVID-19 vaccination and other issues affecting efficient health care delivery in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic including adequate provision of PPEs be addressed.

    The association warned that should the Federal Government fail to implement the demands, its members would have no choice but to proceed on indefinite strike pending when the demands are met.

  • Strike: University of Ibadan begs staff to resume work

    Strike: University of Ibadan begs staff to resume work

    The management of University of Ibadan has appealed to members of staff on essential duty to resume work on Monday, March 8.

    This is contained in a statement made available to newsmen by Mr Tunji Oladejo, the institution’s Director of Public Communications, in Ibadan on Sunday.

    “Management has noted the protracted strike by staff unions and the COVID-19 pandemic which brought all academic and administrative activities to a halt for almost one year, to the effect that the university Senate approved the cancellation of 2019/2020 session.

    “Fortunately, most of the contentious issues have been resolved, while others are being resolved locally and nationally.

    “Management appreciates the maturity, intelligence, wisdom and outstanding experience displayed by the leadership of the unions.

    “With the new breath of air in the university administration, we need to move forward to sustain the pride of place of our university among world-class institutions, being enabled by our staff and students.

    “It is our resolve to raise the bar of exceptional legacy in university governance and structure, bequeathed to us by our forebears.

    “In view of the above, and noting the compliance with COVID-19 protocols, staffers on essential services are please requested to resume at their duty posts from Monday, March 8,” the statement said.

    It also requested other heads of divisions/units/centres to determine modalities for ensuring smooth operations of their mandates.

    While appreciating the cooperation of the affected members of staff, the statement solicited for their understanding in this regard.

  • JUST IN: Workers vow to cripple Shoprite indefinitely

    JUST IN: Workers vow to cripple Shoprite indefinitely

    Shoprite workers have vowed to embark on an indefinite strike and cripple activities of the fast moving consumer goods (FCMG) retail outlets across the country.

    TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports the National Union of Shop and Distributive Employees (NUSDE), Shoprite Ring Road Mall branch, Ibadan made this known on Wednesday.

    Chairman of the union, Mr Williams Peter said the workers of Shoprite nationwide had, on Tuesday, embarked on a warning strike to press home their demands.

    Peter, however, said that the warning strike was suspended to allow for a roundtable dialogue slated for March 4, with the management of Shoprite.

    He said that workers ought to be informed by management on the agreement it had with the new investors, especially concerning them.

    “Already, we are not okay with the Shoprite management concerning working conditions. The same is now being transferred to the new owner without our inputs.

    “We are fighting for the adjustment of staff benefits under our agreement with Shoprite; this fight has been ongoing for years.

    “We want to sit down with the new investor to enter into a new agreement; that is what we want.

    “All we need is for Shoprite management to give us our right, which could either be payoff or ex gratia.

    “Management should not keep quiet and leave the staffers without taking care of their benefits,” he said in an interview with NAN.

    Peter said that the workers were interested in the development and progress of the company, adding, however, that management should treat them well by settling them with appropriate ex gratia.

    “There is a policy under labour law which says when a company is sold out, there are some benefits that the workers must get.

    “But, we have discovered that nothing is coming to us from our management.

    “We sent mails to them, trying to make enquiries as to what would be the fate of members of staff, but we were ignored.

    “The union then gave us the go-ahead to hold a warning strike, which we embarked on Tuesday.

    “The strike was suspended by 6 pm. that Tuesday, with a promise of roundtable dialogue by Shoprite management on Thursday, March 4,” Peter said.

    One of the staffers, who craved anonymity, said that they were only waiting for the outcome of the negotiations on Thursday before determining the next line of action.

    “If the outcome of the negotiation is not favourable to us, we will resume our indefinite strike before April 1, but we hope the issues will be resolved before then,” the worker said.

    Another staff member, who simply identified herself as Grace, said “most of us have been with the company for between five and 10 years now, and the management didn’t let us know when the company was sold.

    Grace said that management had earlier denied the transfer of ownership until it became glaring.

    “They want to do the handing over by April 1 without paying our benefits. They cannot abandon us just like that.

    “One of our supervisors said, ‘we have sold you people like tissue paper’. We are not properties; they cannot sell us.

    “We are about 150 workers in this branch and there are people whose appointments have not been confirmed since they joined the company eight years ago.

    “We are being paid peanuts, with no health insurance and gratuity; we only have pension, and we pay tax,” Grace said.

    Some of Shoprite customers, who spoke with NAN, expressed happiness that the store was eventually opened, with no escalation of the industrial action that took place on Tuesday.

    “We hope that thee management will resolve the issues with their staff members on time, so that both parties will be happy at the end of the day,” they said.

  • BREAKING: Shoprite outlets across Nigeria shut down as staff begin industrial action

    BREAKING: Shoprite outlets across Nigeria shut down as staff begin industrial action

    All 25 outlets of food retailer Shoprite in Nigeria have been shut down by workers, who are currently embarking on an industrial action over the sale of the company to Tayo Amusan’s Jara.

    TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports the workers took to the Shoprite outlets located in malls across the cross the country to express their grievances, obstructing normal business operations.

    The contract papers signed by staff show that many of them were to work with Shoprite until between 2035 and 2040.

    But with the current management set to exit in June, the staff demanded to be paid off rather than run the risk of sack after they are transferred to a new Nigerian company.

    However, Shoprite has been uninterested to accede to the demand of the striking workers to pay them off.

    Recall in August 2020, Shoprite announced the commencement of a formal process to discontinue its operations in Nigeria.

    The end of Shoprite in Nigeria followed approaches from various potential investors, and in line with re-evaluation of the group’s operating model in the country.

    Shoprite Nigeria operates about 25 outlets across the country and employs over 2,000 employees, a substantial number of whom are Nigerians.

    Property investor and chairman of Persianas Group, Amusan, owner of Jara is at a pole position to takeover Shoprite.

    Persianas Nigeria Limited is a property development company Amusan founded in 1990. In 2004, he launched The Palms.

    Owing to the success of The Palms in Lagos, he floated three additional malls in Enugu, Kwara, Ota and Ibadan.

    Jara is a new entrant into the retail sector in the country. They have outlets in Ikeja and Benin.

  • University workers suspend nationwide strike

    University workers suspend nationwide strike

    The leadership of the Joint Action Committee (JAC) of non-teaching staff unions of universities has announced the suspension of its three-week old strike with effect from midnight Feb 26.

    JAC non-teaching staff comprises the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) and Non-Academic Staff Union of the Universities (NASU).

    The NASU General Secretary, Mr Peters Adeyemi, said this while addressing newsmen at the end of a Conciliatory meeting with the Federal Government on Thursday in Abuja.

    TheNewsGuru.com, TNG reports reports that unions directed its members to embark on a nationwide strike from Friday, February 5, 2021 to press home their demands.

    Adeyemi said the union agreed to suspend the national strike after extracting some concessions from the Federal Government that had to do with the grievances that it presented.

    “We have eight items which we negotiated and which form the basis for our ongoing national strike in the universities.

    “We have held the meeting with the government side and those areas that needed to be harmonised have been done to the satisfaction of both parties and resulting from that development.

    “We have agreed that the ongoing national strike in universities and inter universities centres should be suspended with effect from 12 midnight, Friday, 26th February, 2021.

    “We use this opportunity to appreciate our members for their commitment on this struggles, this strike is hereby suspended,” he said.

    Adeyemi said that the unions would continue to monitor the agreements that had been reached that had a timeline and hoped that the government would implement its own side of the bargain.

    According to him, if the government doesn’t, we will call our members to resume the suspended strike, but for now, the strike is suspended with effect from 12 midnight,” he said.

    Earlier, the Minister of Labour and Employment, Sen. Chris Ngige, said the meeting was very fruitful as all the rough edges arising from the former negotiations had been smoothened.

    “Today’s deliberations have been very fruitful; we have also issued a conciliation document called Joint Action Memorandum of Action (MoA), and the two unions will get back to their members today and in good faith.

    “So we keep our fingers crossed, believing that their communications with their union members will be as quick and swift as they have promised us.

    “This is more so, as government is desirous that normal activities should return to the University system so that we can take the action one after the other.

    “Also with the normalcy restored in the university system, we intend to do the visitation panel which is one of the agreements reached with them and which cannot be carried out without normalcy in the university system,” Ngige said.

    The unions demand included, rectifying inconsistencies in the Integrated Payroll Personnel Information System (IPPIS), non-payment of arrears of minimum wage, delay in renegotiation with government, NASU and SSANU 2009 agreement, among others.(

  • University workers to call off strike latest Monday – Ngige

    University workers to call off strike latest Monday – Ngige

    Minister of Labour and Employment, Senator Chris Ngige, says the Federal Government has reached an agreement with the leadership of Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities and the Non Academic Staff Union of Universities and Allied Institutions (NASU), to call of their strike.

    Ngige said agreements were reached by both parties with timelines, which were documented as Memorandum of Understanding (MOU).

    The minister said the MoU was given to leaders of the two unions to go and consult with their members with a view to calling off the strike latest by Monday, February 15, 2021.

    The unions, under the Joint Action Committee, commenced an indefinite strike last week Friday over the failure of the Federal Government to resolve issues in the Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System.

    They are also protesting the sharing formula of the N40 billion earned academic allowances and non-payment of arrears of the new minimum wage, among others.

    The minister, in a statement by the Deputy Director, Press and Public Relations, Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment, Charles Akpan, denied media reports that yesterday’s (Thursday’s) meeting ended in a deadlock.

    “The meeting did not end in deadlock. Rather, agreements were reached on some issues with timelines and these were documented as Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) and given to leaders of the two unions to go and consult their people with a view to calling off the strike latest by Monday, February 15, 2021,” Ngige said.

  • Strike: FG’s meeting with SSANU, NASU ends in deadlock

    Strike: FG’s meeting with SSANU, NASU ends in deadlock

    The meeting between the Federal Government and the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) and the Non-Academic Staff Union of Universities (NASU), has ended in a deadlock.

    It is the second meeting that the Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige is holding with the striking university workers, in an attempt to resolve the issues leading to the labour unrest in the universities.

    At the beginning of the meeting, the minister lampooned the two unions, describing their industrial action as illegal and unknown to labour laws.

    At the first meeting with the Federal Government last Tuesday, the striking university workers said the government had failed to address their critical demands, which included unpaid earned allowances of members, delisting of members from the Integrated Personnel Payroll Information System (IPPIS) and the arrears of the new minimum wage.

    The joint action committee of SSANU and NASU had on Friday last week directed all their members to down tools pending when these demands are met.

  • It’s illegal to go on strike during negotiations, FG warns SSANU, NASU

    It’s illegal to go on strike during negotiations, FG warns SSANU, NASU

    The Federal Government has advised the non-academic unions of universities preparing to embark on industrial action from midnight of February 5 to have a rethink as such action would be illegal.

    TheNewsGuru.com, TNG reports that the Senior Staff Association of Nigeria Universities (SSANU), the Non-Academic Staff to Universities (NASU) and the National Association of Academic Technologists (NAAT), had recently given notices of embarking on a strike over a variety of issues to be sorted out with government.

    However, the Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr Chris Ngige, while speaking to State House Correspondents after a meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari on Friday, said going ahead to effect the strike while negotiations are still ongoing would be a breach of local and international Labour codes and statutes.

    He pleaded with the unions to allow three months of grace for the Federal Government forward the 2021 Supplementary Budget to the National Assembly to cover arrears of the minimum wage that have not been paid to them.

    The Nation had reported the Joint Action Committee (JAC) of SSANU and NASU had given the Federal Government till midnight of February 5 to address about its seven points demand or risk indefinite strike.

    Ngige told State House reporters that he met Buhari to discuss labour related matters especially the threat by the university non-teaching workers to embark on strike.

    He said that the government had “apprehended” the strike by engaging on social dialogue with the unions, adding it would be an illegality if they should go ahead with the planned strike.

    According to him: “It will be preposterous for them to say that as we wait to negotiate further, they are invoking a strike by midnight today, that will be against the labour statute of both the International Labour Organisation and the Nigeria Trade Dispute Act and we will frown at it if they ever go that route.”

    Also asked if the government would invoke no work no pay policy should the workers go ahead with the strike, Ngige said: “I don’t want to go to that area because I presume that good judgment will prevail.

     

    “The leaders of SSANU and NASU are very knowledgeable and very experienced in labour matters. The General Secretary of NASU, Prince Peters Adeyemi and the SSANU President, Comrade Mohammed Haruna Ibrahim, they are experienced labour leaders, they know they will not go that route, they know if they go that route it will be an illegal strike.

     

    “They know that if they go that route, yes they also have a right to strike and the employer also has the right to some reliefs.

    “They also know that when they go that route it means that they have broken down the negotiation in my place that they are not listening.

    “The labour laws also say what I can do if I find that I can’t manage the situation. The law says that I can refer those disputes upwards starting from industrial arbitration panel to the National Industrial Court, so these are the options that are left.

    “I am very optimistic that if they give us three months, the Finance Minister will do the needful,” he pleaded.

  • Varsity workers begin nationwide strike February 5

    Varsity workers begin nationwide strike February 5

    Non-teaching staff in universities will commence a nationwide strike from February 15, 2021 over the Federal Government’s handling of the Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System(IPPIS), sharing formula of the N40 billion earned academic allowances and non-payment of arrears of the new minimum wage.

    The workers, under the Joint Action Committee, which is made up of Senior Staff Association of Nigeria Universities, (SSANU) and the Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions (NASU) had last week embarked on a three- day protest over government’s failure to honour the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), signed with the unions on 20th October, 2020.

    The committee said other contentious issues that informed the decision to embark on a nationwide industrial action include inconsistencies in IPPIS payment and the delay in the renegotiation of the FGN/ ASUU/SSANU 2009 Agreement.

    Others are the non-payment of retirement benefits to former members, non-constitution of visitation panels to universities, poor funding of universities, teaching staff usurping the headship of non-teaching units, among others.

    Addressing newsmen on Friday in Abuja, the JAC of SSANU and NASU led by the National President of SSANU, Comrade Mohammed Ibrahim and General Secretary of NASU, Peters Adeyemi, said out of the seven issues under contention, only one was partially resolved.

    JAC said: “Out of the seven issues, only one has been partially resolved while the other six issues have not been attended to by government, three months after the Memorandum of Understanding was signed.”

    JAC noted that after the congresses held by its branches on Tuesday this week, 90 per cent of NASU members were in support of a strike and 10 percent stood against it. While 83 per cent of SSANU members were in support of embarking on strike, 11 per cent were against the strike and 6 percent were indifferent.

    “It is in line with the resolution of our members nationwide that the leadership of the joint action committee of NASU and SSANU hereby resolve as follows;

    “That members of NASU and SSANU shall embark on an indefinite, comprehensive and total strike with effect from midnight of Friday, 5th February 2021.

    “That two weeks’ notice effective from today, Friday 22nd January 2021, is hereby given to government and relevant stakeholders of this development,” the JAC president said.

  • BREAKING: NIMC workers suspend strike

    BREAKING: NIMC workers suspend strike

    Workers of the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC), have suspended the industrial action which they embarked on, on Thursday over poor allowances and the fear of exposure to COVID-19 spread in the agency.

    The workers decided to put the strike on hold after a meeting with the Federal Government, where it was agreed that the demands of the employees would be addressed.

    The President of the Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria, NIMC unit, Asekokhai Lucky, confirmed the suspension of the industrial action saying workers of the commission across the country will be contacted to resume work by Monday and proceed with the enrolment of Nigerians for their National Identity Numbers.

    More details later…