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Tag: Strike

  • Doctors should end strike in the next 5 days or face jail – Kenyan Court

    A Kenyan Court on Thursday ordered doctors to end a strike in the next five days or face jail after a stoppage of more than six weeks that has plunged state hospitals into crisis at the start of an election year.

    Justice Hellen Wasilwa had initially handed union leaders a suspended one-month sentence on Jan. 12 after they defied a December ruling declaring the strike illegal.

    She had also given them a two-week period for negotiations to avoid jail.

    On Thursday, she extended the period for the doctors to call off the strike by five days.

    “The role of this court is to bring a solution, and an amicable solution,’’ she said when announcing the extension.

    Several thousand doctors and their supporters marched from the court to the centre of Nairobi for a meeting where union leaders were to discuss their response to the court order.

    The 5,000 members of the Kenya Medical Practitioners Pharmacists and Dentists’ Union (KMPDU) first walked out on Dec. 5.

    Since then, newspapers have reported patients in critical condition left unattended and published images of empty hospital beds as families have taken patients home to look after them.

    The union is demanding the fulfilment of a 2013 agreement which it awarded doctors a 150-180 per cent pay rise on basic salaries, which is a review of working conditions and promotions criteria, as well as hiring of more staff in state hospitals.

    The East African state’s government says it can only afford a 40 per cent pay rise but would work to meet other conditions.

    “We are not refusing to pay doctors, but if they ask ridiculous amounts, you have to explain why we cannot afford that, adding that conceding would encourage more worker strikes,’’ Finance Minister, Henry Rotich said.

    Lecturers at public universities launched a strike last week, a further headache to the government in the approach to presidential and parliamentary elections in August when President Uhuru Kenyatta will seek a second and final term.

     

  • NMA asks govt to withdraw directive to replace striking doctors

    The Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) has demanded the immediate withdrawal of the threat by the Federal Ministry of Health to employ temporary doctors to replace resident doctors currently on a warning strike.

    The association made the demand in a statement jointly signed by its President Prof. Mike Ogirima, and Secretary-General, Dr Yusuf Sununu, and issued in Abuja on Saturday.

    Members of National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) on Wednesday, Jan. 18, began a seven-day strike which is expected to end on Wednesday, Jan. 25.

    NMA noted that the government made the threat in a circular issued on Thursday by the Director of Health Services of the Federal Ministry of Health to Chief Medical Directors and Medical Directors of Tertiary Hospitals.

    The association emphasised that members of NARD were on strike to enforce their unmet demands which bordered on the poor state of health of Nigerians and the welfare of its members.

    It identified the issues as unattractive poor working environments in public hospitals, which was continually weakening the health workforce through brain drain.

    It noted efforts to distort the harmony among healthcare workers by some individuals within the Federal Ministry of Health which were threatening to completely derail the health system.

    It said NARD was bothered by the selective and biased implementation of the contents of various government circulars and agreements with regard to the remuneration of doctors.

    It described the alleged distortions as a perfect indication of a lack of political will to end the prolonged crisis in the health sector.

    It said NARD was also concerned about the delay in bringing out a white paper on the various postgraduate medical training programmes in Nigeria.

    “The poor state of our health institutions has not been in doubt as demonstrated by the World Health Organisation ranking the Nigerian Health System as number 187 among 191 countries in 2015.

    “The repeated patronage of foreign hospitals by our top government officials and increasing medical tourism to hospitals overseas by well to do Nigerians,’’ NMA noted were among issues of concern to NARD.

    The association said that the issues in dispute had already been resolved at meetings mediated by the Honourable Speaker of the House of Representatives, Mr Yakubu Dogara, in 2016.

    It said, “Agreements with timelines for implementation were reached with the Federal Ministry of Health, NARD and the NMA on 14th July 2016.

    ‘’Regrettably, these agreements and timelines have again been breached by the Federal Ministry of Health.

    “We, therefore, call on the Honourable Minister of Health to urgently and decisively deal with the saboteurs of government policies within the Federal Ministry.

    “It is expedient that government works urgently to sincerely address all the issues that are responsible for the on-going crises in the Nigerian healthcare sector to avoid unnecessary loss of lives.’’

    It added: “NMA wishes to state explicitly that it will not fold its arms and watch the training of medical specialists and the healthcare system being desecrated by any individual or clique.

    “We shall exploit every means within the law to ensure that justice is done and that the Residency Training Programme, all doctors practising in Nigeria and the welfare of all healthcare workers are treated with the utmost seriousness they deserve.’’

    The association restated its commitment to ensure close monitoring of the developments and called on well-meaning Nigerians to prevail on government officials not to further jeopardise the health of Nigerians.

    The current threat is not the first time that government has threatened to sack striking doctors.

    In June 2016 the Minister of Health, Prof. Isaac Adewole, directed chief executive officers of Federal Government tertiary health institutions to fill vacancies created by resident doctors on strike.

    The Goodluck Jonathan administration also sacked 16,000 resident doctors on Aug. 14, 2014, for participating in a strike.

    The doctors, who were on strike for more than six months, especially during the Ebola outbreak in the country, were recalled two weeks after the directive.

  • Non-academic unions to begin 5-day warning strike on Monday

    Non-academic unions in the Nigerian universities say they will on Monday embark on a five-day warning strike over the inability of the Federal Government to implement the 2009 Agreements with the unions.

    The unions are the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU), Non-Academic Staff Union (NASU) and the National Association of Academic Technologists (NAAT).

    The Joint Action Committee (JAC) of the unions in a statement stated that the warning strike became necessary in order for government to fully implement the 2009 FGN/Non-Teaching Staff Unions Agreements it freely entered into with the unions.

    JAC said that a letter of the warning strike signed by Mr Samson Ugwoke, SSANU President, Mr Sani Suleiman, President of NAAT and Chris Ani, NASU President had been send to the Minister of Education.

    JAC said that the letter was also copied to the Minister Labour and Employment, Executive Secretary, National Universities Commission and President of Nigeria Labour Congress.

    The statement quoted the committee as saying that “the University system is challenged by poor governance and administrative lapses which needs to be addressed holistically.

    “Poor funding of our universities, shortfall in payment of staff salaries, increasing corruption in the university system should be addressed.’’

    It also listed as among the problems that required attention of the government was inadequate physical infrastructure and abandoned projects which they said had reduced the capacity and output of its members.

    Other areas were lack of adequate teaching and learning facilities which had reduced the productivity of members and the non-payment of Earned Allowances being product of the 2009 Agreement, among others.

    Meantime, JAC had petitioned President Muhammadu Buhari over what it described as the “continued industrial unrest at Federal University of Technology, FUTA, Akure: the need for decisive government action concerning the university’s Vice Chancellor.”

    In a letter to President Buhari, JAC said that arising from issues of serious disagreement between labour unions in the institution and the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Adebiyi Gregory Daramola, there had been continuous industrial unrest.

    “It is noteworthy that the university has been experiencing serious industrial disharmony since Oct. 6, 2016 as a result of workers demand for the removal of the VC on grounds of alleged corruption and maladministration.

    “Sir, it is on record that the Vice Chancellor has a case to answer at the EFCC. He is however yet to be arraigned. Indeed, the allegation of corruption against the VC is substantial.

    “It is the candid opinion of the Joint Action Committee (JAC) unions of NAAT, NASU and SSANU that a government which is bent on fighting corruption in all ramifications should not turn a blind eye under these circumstances.

    “So, it will be in the interest of justice and industrial harmony that the VC be prosecuted by the relevant government agencies so that normalcy can be restored in the university,’’ it said.

  • Shell oil workers in Gabon begin indefinite strike on Thursday

    Shell oil workers in Gabon begin indefinite strike on Thursday

    Royal Dutch Shell workers in Gabon on Thursday began an “indefinite’’ strike on all operations in the Central African OPEC member, the oil workers union wrote in a letter to employees.

    There was no immediate response from Shell, and the cause of the strike was not immediately clear.

    But the union in December called for better financial packages for employees and threatened to down tools.

    Gabon is Africa’s fourth largest oil producer with an output of around 220,000 barrels per day dominated by international oil majors Total and Shell.

     

    NAN

  • NUPENG suspends 3-day warning strike after meeting with FG

    NUPENG suspends 3-day warning strike after meeting with FG

    The leadership of the National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) has suspended its three days warning strike which started today (Wednesday) after reaching a consensus with the Federal Government, reports reaching TheNewsGuru.com can authoritatively confirm.

    The minister of Labour and Productivity, Senator Chris Ngige who led the Federal Government’s delegation to the meeting said the government will enforce compliance by the oil companies with agreement reached with the unions in the oil and gas industry.

    The meeting which was conveyed by the minister was meant to provide lasting solution to the lingering industrial crisis in the sector.

    In Ngige’s words: “A lot of agreements have been reached but not complied with by the IOCs and the LOCs as petitioned by the unions.

    “It is even more painful and regretful that NNPC has also not lived up to their agreements.

    “So, the essence of the meeting is for us as re-conciliators stop the pending strike by NUPENG and PENGASSAN,’’ he said.

    Ngige also said the meeting was an intervention move to agree on timelines for the effective implementation of these agreements.

    “I also want to appeal to NUPENG to call off the strike so that we can discuss situation without duress,’’ he said.

    Mr Olabode Johnson, President of PENGASSAN, however, decried the non-compliance of agreements reached earlier with oil companies.

    “These oil companies have refused to respect the agreements reached between the Federal Government and the unions.

    “So, for this meeting to be fruitful there must be some level of compliance because PENGASSAN has also issued an ultimatum, which was also put on hold at the instance of this meeting.

    “If we are not fully satisfied at the end of this meeting then we have to go back and re-issue the ultimatum,’’ he said.

    On his part, the President of NUPENG, Mr Igwe Achese, said about 300 workers had so far been retrenched by these oil companies.

    Achese said several pleas made to avert these retrenchments by the oil companies fell on deaf ears.

    “We had asked ourselves why our members should be sacked on daily basis without due consultation. How long must things continue like this.

    “We have heard the government’s appeal to us to suspend the warning strike, the outcome of this meeting will make us to take a final decision on it,’’ he said.

     

  • Fuel scarcity looms as NUPENG declares 3-day nationwide strike

    The Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) has declared a nationwide strike beginning from today.

    The strike which will affect the flow of petrol to filling stations, has shut down seven crude flow stations in the Niger Delta, a union official said on Wednesday.

    The strike is in protest over pay and job losses. NUPENG is one of several labour unions that have criticised oil companies for sacking workers in the last few months.

    “Filling stations, petrol tankers and all NUPENG members are involved,” Cogent Ojobo, NUPENG’s Warri zonal chairman, said.

    The union said the strike would last for three days and involve around 10,000 workers.

    Ojobo said union officials would hold talks with the labour minister in the capital, Abuja, later on Wednesday. “If the issues at stake are resolved and a communiqué signed, the strike would be called off,” he said.

    He also said workers had gone on strike at seven crude oil flow stations in and around Oleh, a town in Delta state, which is in the Niger Delta.

    “Seven flow stations belonging to NPDC were shut by the workers and they are still shut now,” Ojobo said. He also said the workers, who are employed by contractors, say they have not been paid. The flow stations were shut on Tuesday.

    The Labour ministry spokesman was not immediately available to comment.

    Nigeria has been hit hard by a slump in crude oil prices in the past two years, which helped to push the country into recession. A wave of militant attacks in the southern Niger Delta oil hub throughout 2016 has hampered production.

    Ndu Ughamadu, a spokesman for Nigerian Petroleum Development Company (NPDC), a subsidiary of the state-run oil company NNPC, said checks were being made to establish whether the Niger Delta flow stations had been affected.

    Last week, NUPENG held a strike at Total’s fuel depots in a protest over sackings, but it was suspended after one day after an agreement was reached. No details have emerged about the deal.

  • Bayelsa Primary school teachers threaten strike over unpaid salaries

    By Murphy Aigbe – Yenagoa

    Teachers from public primary schools in Bayelsa have again threatened to revisit their suspended strike action and paralyse the primary school system if their demands which include payment of the backlog of salaries are not met.

    The teachers under the auspices of Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) therfore called on Governor Seriake Dickson to save public primary education from imminent collapse.

    The teachers urged Dickson to prevail on local government councils to pay backlog of full month salaries owed primary school teachers in the state.

    Their call was contained in a seven-point communique signed by John Toinpre Kala-Ama, state NUT chairman, Johnson Hector, principal secretary and Akanyo Timi, publicity secretary, following an emergency meeting of the state wing of the union at Teachers House, Yenagoa.

    They said the state government should assume its constitutional collaborative responsibility of augmenting the funding and management of the primary school system through the Universal Basic Education Programme.

    The teachers also appealed to the state and local governments to quickly address the issues of payment of imprest to headmasters and equitable distribution of instructional materials for functional academic work.

    Other problems, they stated, include acute shortage of teachers, non-implementation of promotions and annual increment for primary school teachers, among others.

    They demanded that the NUT be also represented at the state education committee as directed by the government.

  • British Airways to go on strike Jan 10

    British Airways to go on strike Jan 10

    Cabin crew at British Airways are planning to stage a 48-hour strike from January 10, as a pay dispute rumbles on, according to the Press Association.

    The walkout comes after Unite members voted by 7 to 1, to reject a pay offer from the airline.

    There were strikes planned for Christmas Day and Boxing Day, but the crew called it off to allow for talks at the British conciliation service Acas.

    “British Airways is needlessly provoking strike action by refusing to extend the mandate of the strike ballot and allow meaningful talks to take place,” Unite official, Oliver Richardson, said.

    The strike action is being taken by so-called “mixed fleet” cabin crew, who joined British Airways since 2010. Unite says they are not earning as much as their colleagues.

    “Instead of listening to why its ‘mixed fleet’ cabin crew rejected the offer negotiated at Acas, British Airways has sought instead to try and bully a workforce of young men and women who are trying to eke out a living on poverty pay,” Richardson added.

     

    NAN

  • Unpaid salaries: Arik workers begin strike as unions vow to shut down operations

    The unions in the aviation sector have directed the commencement of a joint strike at Arik Air with effect from December 20 over the airline’s failure to pay seven months’ salary arrears and other anti-labour practices.

    The unions gave the directive in a strike notice in Lagos on Monday.

    The notice was signed by Olayinka Abioye, the General Secretary, National Union of Air Transport Employees; and Frances Akinjole, General Secretary, Air Transport Senior Staff Services Association of Nigeria.

    It was also signed by the General Secretary of the National Association of Aircraft Pilots and Engineers, Aba Ocheme.

    The unions said the strike would continue indefinitely, until their demands are met by the management of Arik Air.

    Their demands include: “That the management of Arik Air allows total unionisation of its employees, in compliance with extant labour laws and with respect to the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

    “The management of Arik Air recalls all sacked employees who have been victimised for their roles in the effort to bring about unionisation in Arik Air.

    “Payment of salary arrears for seven months, with a commitment to pay salaries as at when due, henceforth.”

    They also called for the immediate review of all employee remunerations, which had remained the same since the inception of Arik Air over 10 years ago.

    The unions further demanded for immediate commencement of negotiations of Conditions of Service to be concluded within four weeks and remittance of Pension, Tax, and statutory deductions to the appropriate authorities.

    They also urged the management of Arik Air to comply with the Nigerian Expatriate Quota law.

    The union said: “Towards the full realisation of the strike, all aviation workers, in complete solidarity with their enslaved comrades in Arik Air shall withdraw all services being rendered by third parties.

    “The aviation workers will be supported by Nigerian workers from all other sectors throughout Nigeria, to underscore the seriousness of the matter at hand.

    “In the above respect, all ground handling services, security clearance for Arik Air
    ticket holders, marshalling, aviation fuel supply, air traffic control, safety inspection, etc, will be completely withdrawn.

    “All Arik Air employees, aviation workers, and other stakeholders are hereby enjoined to ensure full compliance with this directive please.”

  • Kenyan doctors strike: Military medics deployed

    Kenyan doctors strike: Military medics deployed

    The Kenyan government on Friday deployed the Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) doctors to attend to emergency cases at the country’s largest referral hospital in Nairobi amid crisis in the health sector due to an ongoing strike.

    KDF spokesman Lt. Col. Paul Njuguna said the military doctors will offer services at the Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH) after 290 specialists joined the ongoing medics’ strike which entered its fifth day.

    He said the deployment of doctors is part of KDF duties of alleviating sufferings, adding that the military has already sent enough personnel at KNH. Njuguna said the doctors would remain at the hospital until the strike is over.

    “Our doctors have gone to KNH to assist the patients suffering from the strike by doctors. They will remain until the ongoing strike is over. That is part of our mandate and we have stepped in to help the needy cases there. We have specialists to attend to them,” Njuguna said.

    The deployment came hours after President Uhuru Kenyatta urged doctors to return to work and not to make innocent patients suffer.

    Kenyatta said the government was keen on ensuring that issues that staged the strike are resolved and a permanent solution found.

    The deployment of doctors was prompted by the move by 200 consultants attached to the largest referral hospital joined their striking colleagues to push for the implementation of the 2013 Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) that awarded them a 300 percent pay increment and agreed to employ more doctors and nurses to reduce their workload and doctor to patient ratio from the current 1:16,000.

    The strike by the health workers has dealt a major blow to thousands of patients since the country’s largest population depends on public health facilities.

    Gory pictures of agony, misery and pain are all written on the faces of the patients who are in most cases turned away or left unattended.

    Meanwhile, the health ministry said the government has offered to increase pay perk for striking doctors of the Kenya Medical Practitioners and Dentists Union effective January 1, 2017.

    However, the proposal which was fronted by the National and County governments on Wednesday after extensive meetings has been rejected by the doctors.

    The two arms of the government have also committed not to victimizing or taking disciplinary action against members of the union for participating in the ongoing industrial action.

    The ministry said efforts to permanently, amicably and sustainably resolve the underlying issues are ongoing.