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Tag: Strike

  • Resident doctors suspend nationwide industrial action

    Resident doctors suspend nationwide industrial action

    The National Association of Resident Doctors, NARD, has called off the nationwide strike it embarked on to press home demands for improved welfare.

    The doctors began the nationwide strike last Monday.

    The doctors had demanded immediate payment of the Medical Residency Training funding to all its members as approved in the revised 2020 budget; provision of genuine Group life insurance and death in service benefits for all health workers, among others.

    But its National President, Dr Aliyu Sokomba said on Thursday that the strike had been called off after reaching agreement with the Federal Government.

    According to him, discussion continued with the Federal Government on Friday on other issues affecting the resident doctors.

    The meeting which led to the suspension of the strike was at the instance of the Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr. Chris Ngige where substantial agreements were arrived at.

    The doctors had demanded payment of the outstanding April/May and June COVID-19 inducement allowance to all health workers; determination of the revised hazard allowance for all health workers as agreed in previous meetings with relevant stakeholders and immediate payment of the salary shortfalls of 2014, 2015 and 2016.

    They also wanted doctors working under the various tertiary health institutions to be placed on appropriate salary grade level and universal implementation of the Medical Residency Training Act of 2017 in all state tertiary health institutions and payment of all arrears owed members in Federal and states tertiary health institutions, arising from the consequential adjustment of the National minimum wage.

  • Doctors’ strike: FG approves fresh N8.9bn for COVID-19 hazard allowance

    Doctors’ strike: FG approves fresh N8.9bn for COVID-19 hazard allowance

    The Federal Government has approved additional N8.9 billion to pay up the large chunk of the June 2020 COVID-19 allowance to all Medical Health Workers in the country.

    Sen Chris Ngige, Minister of Labour and Employment disclosed this during the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) at the end of the meeting between the Federal Government and the Nigeria Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) on Wenesday in Abuja.

    It would be recalled that NARD had embarked on a total and an indefinite strike in all Federal and State hospitals in the country to press for its demands.

    NARD demands include payment of the Medical Residency Training funding to all members as approved in the revised 2020 Budget, provision of genuine Group Life Insurance and Death in Service Benefits for all health workers.

    Others are payment of outstanding April/May and June COVID-19 inducement allowance, determination of revised hazard allowance for all health workers as agreed in previous meetings with relevant stakeholders, immediate payment of salary shortfall of 2014, 2015 and 2016, among others.

    Ngige said that implementation of the payment of the Special Hazard and Inducement Allowance has been concluded.

    According him, the meeting was satisfied that the N20 billion already appropriated in 2020 COVID-19 budget has been exhausted.

    He said the meeting, therefore, commended the Federal Government and Mr President for approving additional N8.9bn to pay up the large chunk of the June 2020 COVID-19 allowance to all Medical Health Workers.

    He added that this has been cash backed and the mandate sent to the Central Bank of Nigeria for payments to start with effect from Sept. 9.

    According to him, this will bring the total disbursement to about N288 billion.

    Ngige noted that discussion for review of a Permanent Hazard Allowance for Health Workers would commence as soon as possible after consultation by the Minister of Labour and Employment with all stakeholders in the health sector.

    He noted that based on the principles of ability to pay, this would cover all health workers in a new Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) and that the meeting would be convened as soon as possible in that regards.

    The minister also said that on the Provision of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), NARD had agreed that the Hospitals and Isolation Centres, have sufficient PPE.

    He also said that on the provision of Group Life Insurance for Doctors and other Health Care Workers and payment of death-in-service benefit to next of kin/beneficiaries, that the government had paid the total sum of N9.3 billion (Nine billion, Three Hundred Million Naira) to Insurance Companies for Life Group Insurance and payment of death benefits for Health Workers.

    Ngige also said that the enrollment for the Group Life Insurance would be by the submission of nominal rolls by the various Health Institutions, which NARD had been mandated at previous meeting to accomplish.

    He said meeting also decided that NARD should submit copies of claims already made to the Insurance Companies through the hospitals to the Ministry of Health for onward transmission to the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation that would ensure that the Insurance Companies pay the claims.

    He added that the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment should also be copied in that regards.

    Ngige, however, said that on the issue of the Universal implementation of the Medical Residency Training Act in all Federal and State Hospitals, that the 2020 Appropriation Act was revised due to COVID-19 pandemic.

    He noted that the N4 billion appropriated for Residency Training under a wrong heading for Medical Residency Training was to be vired before expenditure.

    He added that the process of amendment is therefore ongoing and is expected that this process and cash backing would be through in two weeks.

    According to Ngige, on the payment of outstanding 2014, 2015, and 2016 arrears, the meeting recalled that it had been agreed that the issue will be further discussed post COVID-19 and therefore, no agreement was breached.

    He also noted that on the issue of Consequential Adjustment of the National Minimum Wage that government would pay all owed arrears to members of the association and would also implement such in States Tertiary Health Institutions.

    “It was noted that those affected were the Youth Corps Members and House Officers, who are regarded as ad hoc staff and for State Hospitals, the Federal Government can only be persuasive.

    “It was recalled that NARD had been assigned the responsibility to submit a list from the defaulting hospitals to the Federal Ministry of Health for onward transmission to the Federal Ministry of Finance, Budget and National Planning, ” he said.

    The minister further said that on the issue of domestication of the Residency Training Act by State Government, it agrees to recognise the autonomy of states within the Federation.

    He added that the meeting agreed that the issue would be tabled at the National Economic Council and National Council of Health to persuade the states to domesticate the Act.

    He also noted that on the issue Health Workers in the Medical Centres attached to Universities that the meeting agreed that workers had been tied with the ongoing strike by Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) and negotiations concerning them would be on a different platform involving Federal Ministry of Education.

    “In view of these Understandings, NARD will consult with her Executive Council within the next 24hours with a view to calling off the strike by September 10, 2020.

    “Nobody will be victimized for any activity connected with or for participating in the industrial action,” Ngige said.

    Dr Sokomba Aliyu, NARD National President said that the meeting was successful as a lot of pledges and agreements were reached with timeline.

    “Following the outcome of this meeting, we are hoping that all of that will address the concerns of our members, so we shall be convoking a meeting immediate with our members on the way forward,” he said.

    Government agencies present at the meeting were representatives from Ministry of Health, Finance, Budget and National Planning and National Salaries, Income and Wages Commission.(

  • FG urges Resident Doctors to suspend strike

    FG urges Resident Doctors to suspend strike

    The Federal Government on Tuesday, urged the National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD), to suspend its ongoing industrial action across the country.

    Sen. Chris Ngige, Minister of Labour and Employment said this in a statement signed by Mr Charles Akpan, Deputy Director, Head, Press and Public Relations in Abuja.

    Ngige said that it was imperative for NARD to suspend the industrial action as government had already addressed six out of the eight demands listed by the association.

    He said government will reconvene a conciliation meeting between NARD and Federal Ministries of Health, and Finance, Budget and National Planning on Wednesday at the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment to avert the ongoing strike.

    According to Ngige, by Labour Laws and International Labour Organisation (ILO) Conventions, when issues are being conciliated, all parties are enjoined not to employ arm-twisting methods to intimidate or foist a state of helplessness on the other party; in this case, your employers, the Federal Ministry of Health.

    He, therefore, appealed NARD to respect the country’s laws and suspend its industrial action, while noting that a high percentage of the Association’s demands had already been addressed.

    “This is coupled with the existence of a pending case in the National Industrial Court of Nigeria (NICN) instituted by two Civil Society groups against NARD, the Attorney -General of the Federation, and the Ministers of Health, and Labour and Employment.

    “NARD had no reason to embark on an industrial action, ”he said.

    He also stated that the groups, Citizens Advocacy for Social Rights (CASER) and Association of Women in Trading and Agriculture (AWITA), had also asked for an interlocutory injunction against further strike by NARD.

    He added that all the parties had already appeared and exchanged court processes.

    Ngige said that in spite of lean resources occasioned by the effect of COVID-19 on oil output, the federal government had already spent N20 billion on the Special Hazard and Inducement Allowances for Medical and Health Workers for April, May and June 2020, with a few outstanding payments to some health workers for June 2020.

    He also said that the federal government has expended N9.3 billion as premium for Group Life Insurance for Medical and Health workers, as well as for all civil and public servants in federal organisations that are Treasury funded, to run from March 2020 to March 2021.

    He disclosed that the federal fovernment have appropriated the sum of N4 billion in the Special Intervention COVID-19, while N500 billion in 2020 appropriation for the funding of Medical Residency Training and intended to do same in the ongoing 2021 Budget.

    The minister further stated that N4 billion has been processed for payment.

    Ngige also said that the matter between NARD and the University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital has been resolved, while the resolution of the issue of State Governments not addressing the consequential adjustment to the new minimum wage, and low patronage of Residency programme were ongoing.

    He said plans were on for the conciliation meeting between NARD and Federal Ministries of Health, and Finance, Budget and National Planning to be held on Wednesday at the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment.

  • FCT doctors embark on strike over COVID-19 allowance

    FCT doctors embark on strike over COVID-19 allowance

    The Association of Resident Doctors, Federal Capital Territory Administration chapter, on Tuesday embarked on strike over non-payment of their COVID-19 hazard and inducement allowances.

    The strike which was also premised on the non-implementation of the variation of the 2018 promotion, amongst other issues, was sequel to the expiration of a 14-day ultimatum given to the FCTA over the issues in the communiqué submitted to the administration dated August 14, 2020.

    The strike decision was contained in a fresh communiqué issued on Monday at the end of its emergency meeting held both physically virtually in Abuja.

    The communiqué was co-signed by the chairman of ARD-FCTA, Dr Roland Aigbovo and General Secretary, Dr Mustapha Ibrahim.

    The ARD-FCTA said the strike would only be called off when their demands were met.

    The communiqué reads in part, “Due to the insensitivity displayed by the Office of the Permanent Secretary, FCT, and widespread agitations among our members in the various FCT hospitals and isolation/treatment centres, we regret to notify the administration and by extension the general public that the association would embark on an indefinite strike action with effect from 8am, 1st September 2020 until the payment of the COVID-19 hazard and inducement allowance is received and the variation of the 2018 promotion exercise implemented.

    “We regret any inconveniences this might cause the Federal Capital Territory Administration and the general public needing healthcare delivery during this period.

  • ASUU gives condition to call off us strike

    ASUU gives condition to call off us strike

    The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has said it will sustain its current strike if the Federal Government does not address its demands.

    Speaking at the University of Port Harcourt (UNIPORT) in Rivers State, ASUU President Prof. Biodun Ogunyemi said the government must first implement the report of the NEEDS assessment it conducted in 2012.

    Ogunyemi, who addressed stakeholders on the union’s struggles, said its demands were genuine and in the interest of the nation.

    The union leader said students would be the major beneficiaries of the demands and urged them to support the demands.

    He said: “Students who are our children and partners in progress should show understanding. What we are asking from the government are in their interest and the interest of the nation: good hostel accommodation, good classroom blocks that can engender effective learning, laboratories where cutting-edge researches can be carried out and offices that can drive the process of quality university education.

    “So, what we are asking of the government are not baseless things but things that in 2012, the government conducted during a NEEDS assessment survey and found out that there was widespread rot and decay in the university system. We are asking that the government implement its own report of 2012.”

    Ogunyemi regretted that university lecturers were still receiving the same salary scale of 2009 in 2020, adding that if such issues are not addressed, the strike would continue.

    He said: “Salary issues are still there. We have not fully addressed that. It appears that some forces in government are bent on inflicting suffering on our members by withholding their salaries. But we believe that once we sort out the issues of Universities Transparency and Accountability Solution, other issues will fall in place.

    “The 2009 agreement we had with the government stipulates that that agreement would be reviewed every three years. But since then, we have not been able to review the salary scale. That is why we are saying the negotiation we started with government in 2017 ought to have been completed with the completion of that negotiation process.”

  • Patients groan as health workers begin strike at Unilorin Teaching Hospital

    Patients groan as health workers begin strike at Unilorin Teaching Hospital

    Many patients were turned back at the premises of the University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital(UITH) on Wednesday as the strike by health workers of the institution began to take its toll on health services.

    According to reports, other than medical doctors, virtually all health workers were absent at their duty posts while critical units and laboratories remained under lock.

    Although the Accident and Emergency Ward as well as other wards were open, only doctors were sighted attending to a few patients while many, especially those visiting the facility for the first time, were told to seek medical attention elsewhere in the metropolis.

    Speaking with NAN, Mallam Isiaka Ahmadu, a father of a patient, said he was unaware of the strike having travelled to Ilorin from Kanbi town.

    Ahmadu, who expressed disappointment at the development, said he was directed to return after the industrial action.

    Another patient, Asiata Suleiman, claimed she was sent back by some doctors on duty.

    She appealed to the management of the hospital to respond positively to the grievances of the health workers.

    Suleiman observed that lives were at stake, adding that many may die as a result of the development in the hospital.

    NAN reports that the Chairman of the Joint Health Sector Unions (JOHESU) of the institution, Mr Olutunde Oluwunmi, had on Tuesday announced the commencement of the strike after meeting with members.

    He said the workers were forced to embark on the seven-day warning strike because their demands had not been met.

    The JOHESU chairman added that their demands included the non-payment of promotion arrears for 2009, 2011, 2018 and 2019; denial of promotion of members as well as arbitrary deductions from salaries.

    “Drugs are out of stock in the hospital’s National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) for patients and laboratories supplies are given to non-experts while there is also poor staff welfare.

    ” Facilities such as car loan and furniture loan among others are not available,” he said.

    Dr Muhammad Adeboye, the Chairman of the Medical and Dental Consultants Association of Nigeria (MDCAN), UITH Chapter, however, said its members were attending to patients.

    He said the consultants were not on strike as patients who encountered the striking health workers may assume that they were also participating in the industrial action.

    Mrs Olabisi Ajiboye, the Head of Corporate Affairs at UITH, told newsmen that the hospital’s management was on top of the situation and would resolve the matter amicably.

    JOHESU members are drawn from the five registered associations which included the Senior Staff Association of Universities, Teaching Hospitals, Research Institutes and Associated Institutes (SSAUTHRAI).

    Others are Nigerian Association of Nigerian Nurses and Midwives (NANNM), the Non Academic Staff Unions (NASU), Medical and Health Workers Union of Nigeria (MHWUN), and the Nigerian Union of Allied Health Workers (NUAHW).

  • Labour union threatens strike over MTN’s anti-labour practices

    Labour union threatens strike over MTN’s anti-labour practices

    The Private Telecommunications and Communications Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PTECSSAN) has threatened to embark on a two-week industrial action over the alleged anti-labour practices by the management of MTN Nigeria.

    The union, which is an affiliate of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), issued the warning in a statement on Tuesday.

    It also vowed to disrupt the services of the telecommunications company nationwide after several attempts to resolve the issues failed.

    According to PTECSSAN, the issues bother on the remuneration of workers, exit packages for long-term staff, employee relations practices, and alleged abuse of expatriate quota, amongst others.

    It accused MTN of disregarding its employees in the country, saying such an action was contrary to the core values preached by the organisation.

    “MTN practices an unwholesome, insensitive, and discriminatory structure in the emoluments of some categories of workers.

    “Workers on the same job level earn disproportionately. In many cases, members of a team earn more than their team leads and even more than their direct managers,” the union alleged.

    It added, “Non-payment of severance benefits at the point of departure of employees after long years of dedicated and uninterrupted services to the company has become a deep frustrating practice to the live long guarantees for workers in MTN.

    “The company claims it has not been paying exiting employees severance benefits, hence, it cannot be a matter for negotiation with the union despite the fact that social dialogue demands that all matters without exception concerning workers in the workplace are subject to negotiation.

    “The rate at which companies in the telecommunications sector import excessive manpower to the country to do jobs Nigerians are not lacking in competence is alarming. It is becoming pervasive in MTN Nigeria as well.

    “We have several expatriates in the company who do exactly what Nigerians do. Most of these expatriates are trained by Nigerians and we still wonder how the permits for these individuals were approved.”

    The union warned that if the company fails to yield to its demands or source for another alternative to satisfy their business interests, its proposed strike would be wide and compelling with deep implications for the company’s businesses.

    “Once again, we reinstate that if our demands are not fully and appropriately complied with by MTN Nigeria Telecommunications Limited on or before the next 14 days from today, we shall withdraw every guarantee of industrial peace within MTN Nigeria. Services may be disrupted across the nation throughout the network from the midnight of the 24th day of August 2020,” it said.

    In his reaction, MTN’s Chief Corporate Services Officer, Tobechukwu Okigbo, stated that the allegations made by the labour union were totally untrue and without any merit.

  • NUPENG suspends strike in Lagos

    NUPENG suspends strike in Lagos

    Fuel tanker drivers under the auspices of the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) have suspended their strike in Lagos State.

    The union took the decision on Monday following a meeting between its leadership and representatives of the state government.

    A communique jointly signed by the Commissioner of Energy and Mineral Resources, Olalere Odusote, and the Deputy National President of NUPENG, Solomon Kilanko, was issued at the end of the meeting.

    It contains the seven agreements reached by the union and the government which lead to the suspension of the industrial action of the tanker drivers in the state.

    Some of the challenges faced by tanker drivers such as security agencies, ‘area boys’, ad-hoc levies, bad roads, overloading, the timing of movement, and coordination, formed the critical issues discussed at the meeting.

    Both parties resolved that the state government would meet with the heads of all security agencies and secure their commitment to ensuring the free passage of petroleum products vehicles given their importance to the economy.

    They also agreed to ask relevant government agencies to tackle the menace of ‘area boys’ and establish a dedicated phone number within the next week, to ensure that petroleum products transporters have prompt access to security agencies.

    The meeting resolved to investigate extra-ordinary levies by a particular local government and ask local government authorities to only collect legally due levies.

    On the issue of bad roads, the state government said it would continue to relate with all road users in the planning and execution of road works in the state.

    NUPENG, on its part, promised to ensure all tankers were loaded within the capacities provided for in the regulation and communicated by the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR).

    “Lagos State will, within the next one week, review the restriction of the timing of movement of the petroleum tankers and advise a resolution to ease their access to the tank farms. Union also notes that the ongoing road works are a temporary inhibitor of movement.

    “Lagos State government will immediately set up a standing committee to relate with the union on an ongoing basis to address any issues as they arise,” the statement read.

    Read the full communique issued at the end of the meeting below:

  • Petrol tanker drivers begin strike

    Petrol tanker drivers begin strike

    Tanker drivers on Tuesday embark on strike due to what they called some unfavourable conditions affecting their operations in the state.

    Tayo Aboyeji, Chairman, National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers, Lagos Zonal Council, told the News Agency of Nigeria in Lagos that all the tanker drivers had been turned back to their respective stations.

    Aboyeji said the strike was necessitated by the fact that trucks were not able to access tank farms due to the activities of other articulated vehicles.

    He said: “Tankers were directed to come to the tank farms by 10am daily by the Presidential Task Force, but even when we comply, the road is usually not accessible.

    “Drivers are harassed by area boys (miscreants) who dispose them of their money or leave them maimed while waiting to access the farms.”

    Aboyeji also decried the deplorable conditions of Lagos roads, saying this had caused most of the accidents involving trucks.

    “We are fed up with this great loss; the union is calling on government to fix the roads,” the NUPENG chief said.

    He said the strike would continue until solutions were proffered to the problems.

  • Resume work or get sacked, Akwa Ibom Govt warns striking health workers

    Resume work or get sacked, Akwa Ibom Govt warns striking health workers

    Akwa Ibom State Government has ordered striking health professionals to resume work immediately or risk sack.

    A statement by the commissioner for information, Mr. Charles Udoh on Wednesday said the strike action upon by the Joint Health Workers Union (JOHESU) was ill-conceived.

    Udoh described as ‘unreasonable’ JOHESU’s demand for payment of 50% of basic salaries as hazard allowance in the prevailing harsh economic climate.

    According to him: “This is in spite of concerted efforts by government to provide the best of working conditions for health workers in the state, including up to date payment of all due salaries and allowances, which makes our state one of the best paying states in the health sector.

    “The efforts of the state government in this regard has continued to receive widespread commendations from various healthcare stakeholders in the country.

    “Against this backdrop, government is constrained to state that it is unreasonable and also unlawful for healthcare professionals to embark on any form of strike action during period of Coronavirus pandemic.

    “Therefore, a full compliment of related healthcare professionals are expected at their duty posts unfailingly, as required by the terms and conditions of their employment.

    “Any staff not found on duty will be considered to be no longer interested in the job and will be relieved of such duty with immediate effect. The relevant health authorities have been mandated to conduct head count”.

    The government stated that it has made adequate arrangements to ensure that those interested in performing their lawful duties are allowed to do so without disruption or molestation of any sort.

    “Anyone found obstructing or disrupting healthcare operations any where in the state, under the pretext of an industrial action, will be apprehended and prosecuted.

    “It is criminal for anyone to obstruct health care workers from performing their legitimate duties in this period of emergency

    “Government is aware that the ill conceived industrial action and blatant act of sabotage by JOHESU is sponsored by political detractors with an underlying intent to vandalize healthcare facilities in the state,” Udoh further said.

    The government disclosed that security agencies in the state have been fully briefed to ensure the continued protection of lives and property, using all legal means.

    “Citizens and residents are enjoined to continue to cooperate with government in the fight to curtail the surge of the COVID19 Pandemic in our state,” he assured.