Tag: Strike

  • Ekiti workers call off warning strike hours after commencement

    Ekiti workers call off warning strike hours after commencement

    Organized Labour in Ekiti State have suspended its 3-day warning strike which commenced today, Monday.

    This comes after an intervention by the State House of Assembly which had in attendance the Head of Service, and the Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Labour Matters.

    The Union decided to suspend the strike so as to give room for dialogue with the Government.

    The resolution at the end of the meeting is that, henceforth State Government will ensure continuous payment of the monthly gross salaries of workers, the financial benefits of the 2015 promotion will be implemented in September while the others will follow subsequently.

    Government also resolves that outstanding deductions for the month of May and June will be paid in phases, while outstanding deductions, salaries and leave bonuses will also be paid in phases.

    The agreement was signed by the Head of Service, and SSA Labour on the side of Government and the Chairmen, NLC,TUC and JNC and their Secretariat on the side of Labour.

  • Nigeria doctors launch latest strike amid pandemic

    Nigeria doctors launch latest strike amid pandemic

    Doctors in Nigeria’s largest city Lagos began a three-day warning strike on Monday over welfare and inadequate protective kits, but said medics handling coronavirus cases would not be involved.

    The industrial action is the latest in a string of stoppages by medics to hit Africa’s most populous nation as it struggles to halt rising infections.

    Doctors under the auspices of the Medical Guild Association said they called the strike after the Lagos state government failed to meet demands for additional pay and better protection.

    “The issue of COVID-19 hazard allowances and inducement allowances… approved by the federal government to the doctors has not been approved by Lagos government to her doctors,” leader Oluwajimi Sodipo said in a statement.

    He said the stoppage would not include members working in coronavirus isolation wards despite a backlog in their wages.

    “Doctors working in COVID-19 isolation centres are still being owed two months; salaries which have remained unpaid at the moment,” he said.

    “Our members are putting themselves on the line daily to provide care, and we need to do everything to protect our colleagues.”

    The statement urged government to provide enough personal protective equipment, prompt testing of health workers and insurance.

    Nigeria has so far recorded over 32,500 cases and 740 deaths from the virus.

    Lagos, the country’s largest city of 20 million inhabitants, accounts for the bulk of the cases.

    More than 800 health workers have been infected by the virus, according to the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control.

    The Nigerian Medical Association — the country’s main doctors body — has launched or threatened a series of strikes during the pandemic over welfare and safety.

    Repeated governments in Africa’s biggest oil producer have been accused of underfunding the health sector and experts warn it risks being overwhelmed if virus cases surge.

  • ASUU commences indefinite strike

    ASUU commences indefinite strike

    The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), has commenced an indefinite strike over the Federal Government’s inability to meet up with various agreements entered with the union.

    ASUU had declared a two-week warning strike on March 9, 2020, due to skeletal and actual non-implementation of Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) and Memoranda of Action (MoA) .

    The agreements range from the non-funding of public universities and non-payment of outstanding balance of arrears of Earned Academic allowance.

    Others are salary shortfalls, underfunding and proliferation of state universities, NUPEMCO, visitation panels, renegotiation of 2009 agreement and IPPIS.

    Prof. Biodun Ogunyemi, ASUU President, announced the decision during a news conference at the end of an emergency National Executive Council (NEC) meeting on Monday in Abuja.

    Ogunyemi said that it was difficult for NEC to take some painful decisions at the meeting.

    According to Ogunyemi, based on the review of reports from ASUU leadership’s engagement with government, the NEC concluded that government had failed to satisfactorily address the outstanding issues raised in the FGN-ASUU 2019 Memorandum of Action.

    “Government has also ignored the objections of ASUU against the Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System (IPPIS).

    “Consequently, NEC resolved to embark on a total, comprehensive and indefinite strike beginning Monday, 23rd March, 2020 until the issues are satisfactorily resolved,” he said.

    He explained that NEC had observed that the document being put together by government for ensuring sustainable funding of education in Nigeria did not, in anyway, refer to the 2019 FG-ASUU MoA.

    Ogunyemi said that ASUU wanted a clear timeline for the phased release of the outstanding balance of about N1.1 tr. based on the 2013 Memorandum of Understanding of government and ASUU.

    He added that ASUU would align forces with the labour movement, professional bodies, students, among others, to ensure that the dignity of scholars was not totally eroded in Nigeria. (NAN)

  • UPDATE: ASUU commences indefinite strike

    UPDATE: ASUU commences indefinite strike

    The Academic Staff Union of Universities, on Monday, declared an indefinite strike over the Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System and the non-implementation of the 2009 agreement.

    The union’s National President, Prof. Biodun Ogunyemi, announced the strike at a press briefing in its National Secretariat, Abuja.

    He noted that the government failed to address the issues raised.

    ASUU had on Monday, March 9, 2020, declared a two-week warning strike, Daybreak reports.

  • Amazon’s Italian workers strike over lack of coronavirus safeguards

    Amazon’s Italian workers strike over lack of coronavirus safeguards

    Amazon workers in Italy were on strike on Tuesday as unions accused the online retailer of failing to protect its staff against the threat of the novel coronavirus.

     

    The strike started late Monday at a warehouse in Castel San Giovanni, in the northern Piacenza province. The area is one of the worst affected by the outbreak.

     

    In a joint statement, the Cisl, Cgil, Uil and Ugl unions accused Amazon of failing to implement additional worker protection measures with the Italian government agreed on Saturday with unions.

     

    These include the right to be given masks and other protective gear if workers cannot be kept apart by a safe distance, and extra sanitary measures in the workplace.

     

    “In the Piacenza hub, workers asked for masks 10 days ago and to date none have been handed out,’’ Cristian Sesena of the Filcams Cgil union told dpa.

     

    The strike will continue indefinitely, he said. One-day strike had taken place in two other Amazon warehouses in the regions of Piedmont and Lazio, he added.

     

    For its part, Amazon said it was following rigorously guidelines from the government and health authorities, and assured that the welfare of our workers, suppliers and customers comes first.

     

    For example, the company said it is no longer asking its staff to pick up a signature from customers after delivering packages, to avoid any close contact.

     

    Italy is the worst-affected country in the world outside China, where the coronavirus outbreak originated.

    On Monday, it reported a cumulative total 27,980 cases and 2,158 deaths. (dpa/NAN)

  • Minimum wage: Anambra workers suspend planned strike

    Minimum wage: Anambra workers suspend planned strike

    Anambra State workers have suspended their 14-day planned strike over the new minimum wage.

    The workers were to proceed on strike today (Wednesday) over non-implementation of the new minimum wage in their January salaries.

    The State Chairman of the Nigeria Labour Congress, Mr Jerry Nnubi, told our correspondent that the suspension followed positive talks that had taken place before today.

    He said, “We opened discussions with the state government on this issue during the ultimatum. We started last week, and yesterday (Monday), we also had a session with the government and they made explanations as to the cause of the improper implementation of the minimum wage in January, ranging from double payment to some staff; and the unbundling arising from verification exercise they (government) did from October last.

     

    ” So, there were a lot of computer errors and all that. So, they(government) pleaded that the ultimatum be suspended while they come up with some proposals and see how to resolve the issue at hand.

    “After that, we agreed to meet on Tuesday the 25th of February with enlarged stakeholders’ meetings where all the parties will meet again to look at the issues that caused the problem and deliberate and know how to resolve them.

    ” The final decision will be on Tuesday. Maybe all that the parties will be on the same page and we move forward.

    “We have to give room for that interaction and talks. On Tuesday we may come up with another action. When you give an ultimatum, you have to open up for talks and discussions.

    “Since the government has shown a disposition to talk, we have to oblige them that opportunity. So, the ultimatum is put on hold.”

    The NLC chairman enjoined workers in the state to continue to be at their duty posts.

  • Organised labour in Niger says to sustain strike until demands met

    Organised labour in Niger says to sustain strike until demands met

    Organised labour in Niger on Friday said that the ongoing strike embarked upon on Feb. 4 would continue until its demands are met by the state government.

    This was contained in statement jointly signed by Mr Yakubu Garba, chairman Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), his Trade Union Congress (TUC) counterpart Yunusa Tanimu in Minna.

    The NLC and TUC had directed their members to embark on an indefinite strike over non implementation of the new national minimum wage and other entitlements.

    According to the statement, “negotiations between organised labour and the government of Niger state is yet to achieve any tangible result.

    “Nigerlites are enjoined to ignore rumours by michief makers and agents of falsehood publishing otherwise and await further updates/directives from the organised labour.

    “Civil servants are urged to remain calm and prayerful as negotiations continue. Industrial unions are to continue to liaise with the labour centres (NLC/TUC) in Niger state to ensure full mobilisation.

    “The strike will continue till our demands are met.”

    Mrs Mary Berge, Chief Press Secretary to the state governor, Alhaji Abubakar Bello had told newsmen on Thursday that organised labour would soon sign agreement to call off the strike with government.

    Part of the demands of labour included the immediate implementation of the N30,000 National Minimum wage, its consequential adjustment and accrued arrears to all categories of workers both at the state and local government levels.

    It also calling for the immediate resumption of payment of outstanding annual leave grant for 2019 to deserving workers at both state and local government level as well as a clear commitment from the state government on pension policy in the interest of workers.

    Efforts to get the reaction of state Head of Service, Hajiya Salamatu Abubakar on the matter was not successful. (NAN)

  • Strike: We are not insensitive to plight of students, parents – ASUU

    Strike: We are not insensitive to plight of students, parents – ASUU

    The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has dispelled insinuations that the union is insensitive to the plight of students and parents by constantly embarking on strikes.

    Dr Lazarus Maigoro, Chairman of the University of Jos chapter of the union, said this in an interview with News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Wednesday in Jos.

    Maigoro insisted that the demands of the union before the Federal Government were aimed at improving the standard of universities in the country.

    NAN reports that the union has started mobilising its members across the country to embark on an industrial action over what it called government’s failure to fulfill the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) reached with it since 2009.

    NAN also reports with the news of an impending strike, many parents had decried the incessant industrial action embarked upon by university lecturers and accused ASUU of being insensitive to the dilemma of students and their parents.

    But Maigoro explained that a large part of the union’s demands from government were anchored on adequate funding, infrastructure development and the need for improved facilities in the universities with a view to making learning more conducive for students.

    “It is true that we are currently mobilising our members across our 13 zones in the country for a nationwide strike and this is because government has failed to fulfill the MoU of 2009.

    “It was same issues that led to the strike in 2018 which was later suspended in February 2019 and as I speak to you, government has not fulfilled any of the agreements reached

    “Our demands are not personal, but we want adequate funding for universities, more infrastructure development and what have you, so that students can learn under conducive atmosphere.

    “So, parents and indeed Nigerians should not see us in bad light, because we are pushing for a cause that will raise the standard of our universities.

    “Remember, our children and colleagues are also schooling in this system; we are also affected by the strikes, and so it is not about us, but the future generation,” he said.

    Maigoro, however, accused politicians and government officials of being insensitive and treating issues of education with kid gloves, and called on government to act fast in revamping the decaying system.

    “We are like any other ordinary Nigerian; we don’t have money to take our children abroad. It is the politicians that send their children overseas to school. And that is why they don’t care about improving the system at home because it doesn’t affect them in anyway

    “So, government must be proactive enough in bringing back the lost glory of education in Nigeria by making the system work through adequate funding and what have you,” he said.

  • FG, Labour strike new minimum wage deal, to be revealed Today

    FG, Labour strike new minimum wage deal, to be revealed Today

    By Jennifer Y Omiloli

    Labour leaders, who have called off a planned nationwide strike, have agreed on a new national minimum wage at the end of negotiations with a Tripartite Committee, set up by the Federal government.

    The agreed figure will be kept under wraps until 4.15 pm on Today, when it will be revealed in a report to be presented to President Muhammadu Buhari.

    Mr Ayuba Wabba, President of the Nigeria Labour Congress, spoke to newsmen at the end of the Tripartite Committee meeting on the new National Minimum wage meeting at the early hours of Tuesday in Abuja.

    He said the National Minimum Wage Negotiating committee has concluded its assignment and agreement has been reached and also documents have been signed.

    “The report will be submitted to Mr President by today and therefore, having reached this position, the Organised Labour also decided that the proposed strike is hereby suspended.

    ” Therefore, we thought this should be communicated appropriately without also divulging this information as mutual agreement has been reached,” he said.

    Ms Amma People, Chairman of the Tripartite Committee also noted that the assignment of the committee has been concluded.

    “We are going to present our report to Mr President today at 4:15pm and he will reveal the figure that we have recommended, ” she said.

    Mr Boss Mustapha, Secretary of the Government of the Federation commended members of the committee for their time and commitment on the processes of recommending the new minimum wage.

    “I am confident that government will give expeditious consideration of the report when submitted tomorrow to Mr President. And very soon the processes will be put in place to truly actualise your recommendations so that the status of our working populace will be enhanced and they would receive appropriate and commensurate payments for the services they offer to our nation and to the different sectors of our economy, ” he said.

    It was reported that the organised Labour had threatened to commence nationwide strike on Nov. 6 over government rejection of a N30,000 minimum wage. Government offered N24,000, which labour also rejected.