The Pacesetter Frontier Magazine

Tag: strike

  • After 60 days, College of Education Lecturers suspend strike

    After 60 days, College of Education Lecturers suspend strike

    The Colleges of Education Academic Staff Union,(COEASU) lecturers have suspended their ongoing strike for a period of 60 days.

    The suspension is contained in a state signed by COEASU President, Dr Smart Olugbeko and Dr Ahmed Bazza, General Secretary of the union on Friday in Abuja.

    The union said the suspension followed “enormous progress” made at the ongoing renegotiation with the Federal Government.

    Olugbeko said the decision to suspend the strike was taken at the end of its National Executive Council (NEC) meeting held in Abuja, to re-assess the status of issues leading to the three-week roll-over of the national strike.

    According to him, as evident in the enormous progress made at the ongoing renegotiation and the appreciable level of progress made towards the amendment of the Colleges of Education Establishment Act, which is paramount for the development of the COE system.

    “NEC resolved that the nationwide strike that started on June 10, be suspended for a cool-off-period of 60 days.

    “This is to give the government the opportunity to perfect the progress made so far into tangible achievements that are acceptable to the union.

    ”After which the NEC shall reconvene to re-assess the status of the issues and decide the way forward, ”he said.

    He therefore commended critical stakeholders for their intervention and dogged commitment to the resolution of the issues.

    Olugbeko also said NEC decried the high level of insecurity in the country, as evident with the increase in the spate of kidnapping, banditry, killings and other social vices.

    “NEC, therefore, calls on governments at all levels to address the situation more proactively by beefing up security on all campuses.

    “As the system is being reopened for teaching and learning, and across the nation in general, ’’he said.

    The union president, therefore, commended the Government of Imo, Kwara, Osun, and Oyo towards the resolution of the lingering issues in their respective colleges of education.

    (NAN)

  • ASUU: FG not showing interest in public Universities

    Two days to the expiration of the warning strike by the Academic Staff Union of Universities, the National President of the union, Prof Emmanuel Osodeke says “nothing tangible has been done”.

    Saturday PUNCH reports that the union had on Monday, February 14, 2022, declared a total and comprehensive four-week warning strike.

     

    The strike, according to the union, was due to the failure of the government to implement the agreement the Federal Government signed with the union in 2009.

    ASUU had also accused the Federal Government of working against the deployment of the UTAS, a payment platform designed by ASUU in lieu of the IPPIS payment system.

    The Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige, had summoned meetings with the union and other ministries and agencies in a bid to change the mind of the striking lecturers.

    The minister in an interview with The PUNCH had also said that ASUU’s demands were currently being implemented.

    But Osodeke said nothing tangible had been done.

    In an interview with Channels Television, which was monitored by Saturday PUNCH, Osodeke said, “Nothing tangible has been done so far. We have met with the Minister of Labour twice.

    “We gave a room for them (NIREC) to intervene and they did. What we see is a lack of will and lack of interest in the public university system.

    “The strike didn’t need to last more than one week if the government had taken it seriously. When they had problem in Ukraine where the sons of the rich were studying, we saw how fast they released money, but in the country where the children of the poor are studying, nothing has been done.”

    Meanwhile, the General Assembly of the Committee of Vice-Chancellors of Nigerian Universities has called on the Federal Government to be proactive and embrace dialogue in a bid to resolve the ongoing disagreement between ASUU and the Federal Government.

    The VCs made this call in a communiqué issued at the end of their 80th meeting held in Abuja on Friday.

    The committee added that Nigerian universities would not be able to withstand the consequences of a prolonged strike.

    The PUNCH reported that ASUU on February 14, 2022 embarked on a four-week warning strike following the failure of the Federal Government to implement the agreements it signed with the union.

    The union had also said it would go on a total and comprehensive indefinite strike should the government fail to honour its demands before the end of the one-month warning strike.

     

    The communiqué partly read, “Members expressed regret that the nation’s public universities are witnessing another strike action resulting from a trade dispute with the unions.

    “It expressed the need for the Federal Government to be proactive and dialogue with the leadership of the union to ensure an amicable resolution of the crisis.

    “At the heart of the dispute is the public universities’ funding, which members noted was grossly inadequate.”

    “The meeting noted that public universities might not absorb the consequences of another prolonged strike by the union if the outstanding issues were not quickly resolved.”

    On the issue of fake admissions, the committee decried the high rate and resolved to schedule a meeting with the Registrar of the Joint Admissions and Matriculations Board.

    The vice chancellors added that members decried the issue of illegal admissions into public universities and resolved that an urgent meeting with the JAMB Registrar to draw his attention to the matter with a view to ending the act.

    The communiqué further read, “The meeting noted that the way Vice-Chancellors are summoned by various committees of the National Assembly was improper. The meeting suggested that a meeting with the leadership of the National Assembly was necessary to find a better process of engagement.

    “The committee saluted the efforts of the Committee of Pro-Chancellors in raising this matter with the Visitor. It advised that there should be constant follow up to ensure that Mr. President grants the request to lift the embargo.

     

    (Punch)

  • FG accuses ASUU of not meeting Govt’s demand

     

    The Federal Government has said it’s still waiting for the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) to upgrade and return the Universities Transparency Accountability Solution (UTAS), which failed the integrity test.

    National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) Director General, Kashifu Inuwa, spoke to State House Correspondents at the end of Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting presided over by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo at the Council Chambers, Presidential Villa, Abuja.

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    ASUU has been on strike since February 14 over a face-off with the Federal Government which included the non-acceptance of UTAS as the payment platform to replace the Integrated Personnel and Payment Information System (IPPIS).

    While government insisted that UTAS has failed the necessary tests that should qualify it to be used as a payment platform, ASUU accused the government of not being ready to accept its alternative platform to the IPPIS.

    Asked to give update on UTAS being one of contentious issues that led to the ongoing ASUU strike, Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Isa Pantami, said he acted on the letter from the Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige, requesting a review of the submission and the technical ability of the software of the system, by forwarding it to NITDA for action.

    “They (NITDA) conducted their analysis, their testing and sent same back to me, and I drafted a cover letter which I forwarded to the Minister of Labour and Employment and copied the minister of education, minister of finance, budget and national planning, and also office of the accountant general of the federation and even National University Commission.”

    Giving clarification on the position of UTAS, Inuwa said: “When we received the request to review, UTAS, you know, building complex system like UTAS that involves employees’ personal data, and also payment system, we have to subject it to do best practice tests before approving. Normally, when we are reviewing that kind of system, we perform three tests.”

    “Firstly, because when you’re building system, it’s not just about the technology, you need to consider the people that will use this system and the process. If you don’t align people, process and technology, you will never get result. No matter how good the technology is, if the people don’t understand how to use it, they won’t use it. And if the process is different from the way the people work, also, they won’t use it. So, that is a process of building technology.

    “Again, you need to get the business requirement. What do you want to achieve? So, it’s not the technology that will come first, it is the business requirement, what do you want to achieve, then you need to identify the capabilities you need to achieve, that is your business objective.

    “Part of the capability is the technology you need to bring in and the people that will operate the technology before you start thinking of the technology, because technology is always a tool that will help you to achieve an objective or to do your work. If you bring the tool before knowing what to do with it, it will be useless.

    “So, when they came, we said okay, fine, we will do user acceptance test, ASUU you’ve built this system, but you are not the one that will use the system. There are people in bursary, and all those in finance that will use this system. So, we need to do user acceptance test with them, let them come and show the system, let them see if it can help them to do the work there.”

    (Sun)

  • NARD: The proposed bill on strikes in health sector is an assault on democratic rights of employees

     

    The Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors and the Joint Health Sector Union, on Sunday, knocked members of the House of Representatives over plans to outlaw strikes in the health sector.

     

    The bodies described a proposed bill to that effect as draconian and an assault on the democratic rights of employees.

     

    The PUNCH reports that medical doctors and other health workers usually embark on industrial actions, which have crippled the health system in the country.

     

    In 2021, for example, the NARD embarked on a 63-day strike following the failure of the government to address its demands.

     

    The National Association of Nigerian Nurses and Midwives, Lagos State chapter, is also planning to embark on a strike by January 10 over the failure of the state government to meet its demands.

    The bill, which is being sponsored by a member of the House representing Enugu State, Simon Atige, is titled, ‘An Act to amend the Trade Disputes Act, cap T8, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004 to prohibit medical practitioners in the employment of federal, state and local governments in the essential service sectors from embarking on strikes and to accelerate administrative and judicial proceedings in the determination of trade disputes involving them and related matters’.

     

    It seeks to amend the principal Act by amending Section 17 of the Trade Disputes Act, 2004 by creating subsection 2, which provides, “Where a trade dispute has been declared by an organisation of medical practitioners employed by or under the government of the federation or of a state or of a local government or any municipal or statutory authority in a government hospital or medical centre or otherwise in the treatment of the sick or the prevention of disease or the minister has received a report of a dispute concerning such an organisation, the organisation may approach the National Industrial Court for a resolution of the dispute provided that at the time of the organisation’s approach to the court, the minister is also notified by the organisation and all processes are served on all the parties.

     

    It will also create a new subsection 3, which states, “Subject to the requirement of fair hearing, the National Industrial Court may abridge procedures and time stipulations for the purpose of a speedy resolution of the dispute.”

     

    The proposed law will only apply to medical professionals in government employment. Section 49 (3) of the proposed law states, “This Act shall apply to any medical practitioner employed by or under the government of the federation or of a state or of a local government or any municipal or statutory authority in a government hospital or medical centre or otherwise in the treatment of the sick or the prevention of disease, but no such medical practitioner shall embark on an industrial action.”

     

    But the National President of NARD, Dr Godiya Ishaya, in an interview with one of our correspondents, said that the move by the lawmakers was against the rights of workers to express their grievances.

     

    He said, “This move is against the rights of workers to express their grievances with peaceful negotiation and as a last resort, embarking on industrial action. The right to strike is a universal democratic right of all employees, regardless of where they are employed – private or public sector.

     

    “Industrial actions or strikes are not embarked upon over nothing; there are issues that lead to them. The House of Representatives should first promulgate laws that prohibit the government from reneging on several agreements it enters into with health workers.

     

    “Also, there should be laws to prevent the government from delays in payment of salaries, promotion and payment of entitlements of workers. They should make laws that make it mandatory to improve the infrastructure of our hospitals and ensure the availability of consumables at all times.

     

    “Anything short of these as a prerequisite to the law to prohibit strikes by health workers means the government wants to arm-twist, gag and turn health workers in Nigeria into slaves and lame ducks. The result of this will only be a spike in the already enormous exodus of health workers to other countries with better service conditions, where the efforts, abilities and expertise of Nigerian health workers are better appreciated.”

     

    On his part, the spokesman for JOHESU and an executive member of AHPA, Olumide Akintayo, noted that the bill was draconian and an assault on the freedom of expression of the health workers.

     

    Akintayo lamented why the lawmakers would waste taxpayers’ resources on bills meant to trample on the rights of Nigerians.

     

    He said, “This is a tool of the Federal Government to stop strikes in the health sector. Instead of creating a system where workers do not have to go on strikes, you want to trample on their rights to express their grievances.

     

    “This is draconian and it is an assault on the rights of workers. Lawmakers do not understand the privileges of democracy. It is a shame that legislators, who are meant to sympathise with Nigerians as representatives of the people, are the ones coming up with such policies; when they get there, they develop selective amnesia and waste taxpayers’ resources.

     

    “How can you say we should not go on strike? There is freedom of speech and expression; you cannot create a law to stop strikes; what you should do is to make sure that you create a working system where people see no reason to embark on strikes.”

     

     

     

     

     

    Source: www.punchng.com

  • Resident Doctors turn down FG’s Memorandum of Understanding

     

    Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) has distanced itself from the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) drafted by the Federal Government and vehemently refused to sign the document as a commitment to ending its ongoing industrial action.

     

    The association described the MoU as a veiled punishment for doctors, who are to bear the brunt of government’s failures.

    Resident doctors on August 1 commenced a strike over alleged failure of the Federal Government to implement an agreement bordering on salaries and allowances.

     

    Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige, had dragged the association before the National Industrial Court to adjudicate on the matter.

     

    The Nigeria Medical Association (NMA), on Friday, led the resident doctors to a meeting summoned at the instance of President Muhammadu Buhari to resolve the nationwide strike.

     

     

     

    Briefing newsmen, yesterday, after the meeting with representatives of the Federal Government in Abuja, NARD National President, Okhuaihesuyi Uyilawa, said he could not sign the MoU as a result of an undisclosed clause.

     

    “We rejected the MoU; we didn’t sign it because we feel we are being punished for the failures of those in government.”

     

    He announced the nationwide strike would continue and the association would continue with the court case.

     

    Uyilawa, however, disclosed NARD leadership would have to present the new MoU to its members before he could sign the document.

     

    On his part, Ngige said all other unions in the negotiation, including the NMA and the Medical and Dental Consultants of Nigeria have signed the new agreement.

     

    The minister said the meeting did not discuss the issue of ‘No Work No Pay’ but that all parties at the meeting agreed to an out-of-court settlement. He said the Federal Government would begin implementation of the MoU today.

     

    “The meeting agreed we need to let this matter go. Therefore, the budget office of the federation should start from the 2021 service vote to start paying. And if we have any leftovers, we roll it into 2022.

     

    “Coming to hazard allowance, everybody agreed the discussion is still ongoing and therefore the government wants to finish it up. We agreed with the NMA position that they don’t want to discuss holistically anymore as an association and that they have their own peculiarities that are not the same with other health workers.

     

    “We are going to do two meetings, one for NMA and affiliates and one for JOHESU. But we are taking the meetings concurrently so that we don’t run into troubled waters. We are starting next week,” Ngige said.

     

    Ngige disclosed the NMA has been directed to submit a written position on the controversial withdrawing of doctors under the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) and house officers from the scheme of service to point out the anomaly in the circular.

     

     

     

     

     

     

    Source: www.sunnewsonline.com

  • Victims of bandits attack, others abandoned at FMC Gusau as doctors’ strike enters day four.

    Victims of bandits attack, others abandoned at FMC Gusau as doctors’ strike enters day four.

    As the Nationwide strike embarked by the National Association of Resident Doctors enters day four, Medical services in Zamfara state have been paralyzed. The doctors’ body in the state said the strike has negatively affected clinical services as patients, including victims of bandit attacks, have been left unattended to

    The president of the chapter in federal medical Centre Gusau, Dr. Hussaini Haruna said there is no going back on the strike until their demands are met.

    The federal Medical Centre Gusau, which used to be a beehive of activities, is now nearly empty due to the ongoing nationwide strike embarked upon by the National Association of Resident Doctors.

    The doctors again decided to down tools due to the failure of the federal government to implement the agreement reached last April over their welfare. Their demands include increment in the hazard allowance, medical residency training funds, salary shortfall and the non payment of salaries to some members.

    Dr. Hussaini appeals to the federal government to act fast as patients including victims of Bandit attacks, are in dire need of medical attention. He added that many qualified doctors are leaving the country due to lack of improved welfare.

    On their part, authorities of the Hospital said measures are in place to continue skeletal services especially for emergency cases.

    The Chairman Medical Advisory Council Dr. Sunday Onazi said, only emergency cases are being attended to. Onazi adds that Consultants and NYSC Corp members are doing their best to attend to patients, while those with serious cases are referred to private Hospitals.

    He appealed to the federal government to, as a matter of urgency, settle the issue to enable Doctors resume work as patients are going through hard times.

    This is the second time in seven months that the National Association of Resident Doctors are going on strike over the same demand.

    They are worried that the strike is coming when president Muhammadu Buhari is again outside the country for medical check up and other official engagements just as it happened last April.

  • Judiciary Staff Union Vows to continue strike untill Government comply with it’s Demands

     

    Judiciary workers begin indefinite strike Tuesday

     

     

    The Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria (JUSUN) on Friday said it will hold a nationwide protest on Monday, April 19, 2021.

     

    It vowed to continue its nationwide strike until the federal government and state governors comply with its demands.

     

    Reacting to the development, Lagos State Government appealed to the striking judiciary workers to go back to work and open the gates of the courts to litigants.

     

    The appeal was made at a meeting which the executives of JUSUN in the state held with representatives of the government on Thursday.

     

    The union had on April 6 shut all courts across the country in protest of the non-implementation of financial autonomy for the judiciary.

     

     

    In a circular released on Friday, JUSUN Deputy General Secretary, Mr. P. Nnamani, said the strike will continue and that judiciary workers will hold a nationwide protest on April 19.

     

     

     

     

     

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    He said: “Pleased to inform you that the Comrade President of the union, Marwan Mustapha Adamu, is full of appreciation to the spirit of comradeship and solidarity exhibited in this ongoing industrial action.

     

    “You are by this notice informed that the industrial action continues as the federal government and the governors are yet to find the grounds of meeting with our demands.

     

    “We are aware of threats and pressure that may come from the governors but please be resolute!

     

    “Further be informed that following an emergency meeting of the NWC on the 15th April 2021, it is agreed that the union would organise a peaceful protest in the federal capital, which would be replicated in the 36 state capitals in furtherance of our agitations, from 19 April, 2021.

     

    “Please note that if in case, there are any invitations for negotiations/talks, you should promptly inform the national headquarters for guidelines and representations to avoid disorder in presentation of facts.”

     

    Lagos State Government, during the meeting, impressed on the workers that there was no need for the strike as the judiciary is already enjoying full financial autonomy in accordance with the provisions of the constitution, the various court judgments and Executive Order 10.

     

    The meeting was presided over by the Chief Judge of the state, Justice Kazeem Alogba.

     

     

     

    Others at the meeting included the Attorney General, Moyosore Onigbanjo ,  SAN, the Head of Service, among others.

     

     

     

     

     

     

    Source: www.thenationonlineng.com

  • ASUU: Union Chairman complains that the FG has failed to remit the deductions it made to their account.

    The Academic Staff Union of Universities on Sunday blamed the Federal Government, as well as the Accountant General of the Federation, over what it called the victimisation of its members.

     

    It said the Federal Government had  refused to pay its members salaries despite the ‘no victimisation clause’ of the suspended strike.

     

    According to ASUU, while its members are back to their duty posts to work, the harsh economy being experienced due to unpaid salaries and non-refund of deducted check-off dues will affect productivity.

     

    The Chairman of ASUU, University of Ibadan, Prof. Ayo Akinwole, said the Federal Government failed to remit the deductions it made to the account of the union.

     

    The union warned that if  pushed to the limit, “withdrawal of work in the nearest future may be inevitable.”

     

    Akinwole said while government was paying outstanding five months salaries for those on nominal role at an agonisingly slow pace, over 100 UI academic staff members were being owed salaries for between two to 10 months.

     

    He said those newly employed in February 2020 had not received money with their families and dependants suffering over their rejection of enrolment on the IPPIS.

     

    The ASUU chief said, “The suspension of the strike was based on an agreement reached and a  ‘Memorandum of Action’ signed in good faith between the government and ASUU at the stakeholders’ meeting held on the  Tuesday, 22nd December, 2020. A major common position agreed to (and expected to be respected) by the government and ASUU was that nobody shall be victimised in any way whatsoever for his/her role in the process leading to the Memorandum of Action.”

     

    He said while ASUU had remain faithful to the agreement by returning to classes and performing their respective duties, the Federal Government reneged on its part.

     

    He alleged that “Officials of the OAGF kept adducing flimsy untenable reasons for the perpetual non- payment of salaries, demanding loads of paperwork and documents both from the union and the  bursary unit of the various universities, as well as the university administration.

     

    “The requested documents have consistently been provided on a monthly basis, yet the salaries remain unpaid. In the University of Ibadan, March 10, 2021, about 67 ASUU members that are on regular nominal payroll have their salaries ranging from two to 10 months still unpaid as of March 10, 2020. Over 80 ASUU-UI members in the faculty of veterinary medicine have their medical allowances of over eight months still unpaid.

     

     

     

     

    Source: www.punchng.com