UCL Begins Indefinite Strike, Today …As Health Workers Give FG 14-Day Ultimatum

The United Labour Congress (UCL), last Wednesday, threatened that workers in the country would embark on an indefinite strike, if the Federal Government failed to meet its demands by Friday (today).
The strike threat was issued after an emergency meeting of its National Administrative Committee in Lagos.
“The strike will be very effective as we hope to cripple all modes of transportation within the nation; ensure a total blackout nationwide; cut off petroleum product supplies; and disrupt banking operations, which will make life a bit more difficult for Nigerians.
“We regret these consequences on all of us, but we hope that these measures will help us create a nation that is better governed for the benefits of Nigerian workers and Nigerian masses,” President of the ULC, Joe Ajaero, said in a statement.
Ajaero said that the strike had become necessary after they issued a 14-day ultimatum to the FG earlier.
He added: “This course of action, though very painful to us at this time, is the only alternative available to us as we have exhausted all known peaceful processes towards an amicable resolution of the dispute.
“We, therefore, call on all genuine patriots to join hands in solidarity with us to urge the Federal Government and state governors to be kind enough to meet the demands of Nigerian workers and masses.”
The demands of the union include the immediate payment of all arrears of salaries owed workers at all levels of government without exception.
Ajaero added that other demands were that “the Federal Government honours its 2009 agreement with university lecturers under the umbrella of ASUU quickly and commences negotiations with them on new issues so that our universities will re-open.
“The roads leading to all the petroleum refineries and depots nationwide should be repaired by the government to avoid the present carnage, wastage of products and properties on these roads.
“That the government should demand that the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment set up a task force immediately to carry out factory inspections as most of our factories are death traps,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Joint Health Sector Unions (JOHESU) of the University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan, has issued a 14-day ultimatum to the Federal Government to meet its demands or face an indefinite strike.
The President of the UCH chapter of the Nigerian Union of Allied Health Professionals (NUAHP), Mr Segun Sotiloye gave the strike notice at a press conference, yesterday, in Ibadan.
According to him, these demands include non-payment of promotion arrears from 2013 to 2016, unpaid salaries of some members due to subvention shortfalls and withholding of union dues/cooperative deductions.
He said the union was also demanding the immediate payment of all promotion arrears from 2013 to 2016 as well as all salary arrears due to the shortfalls experienced in 2014, 2015 and 2016.
Sotiloye called on the government to remit as appropriate all the union dues and cooperative societies’ deductions as soon as possible.
He disclosed that the union had given the Federal Government 14 days with effect from Thursday, September 14 to meet their demands.
“We, therefore, give the Federal Government 14 days with effect from Thursday, September 14 to meet our demands failing, which all the unions will not hesitate to mobilise members to withdraw their services.
“We wish to use this opportunity to plead with the members of the public to please bear with us, as we are not unaware of the hardship this decision may expose them to,” he said.
Sotiloye decried the way the Federal Government had been treating allied health workers, who, he said, constituted 95 per cent of the health workforce.
“It is a general knowledge that the health sector has become another “Animal Farm”, where all animals are equal, but some are more equal than the others.
“Our members have been patient over the years. We have come to discover that our silence and maturity has been misinterpreted to be foolishness.
“All available means of peaceful dialogue have been exhausted and we have now been pushed to the wall and left with no option than to cry out,” he said.
Sotiloye said their grievances were numerous, but they are demanding the implementation of the ones bordering on their welfare.
The JOHESU is an amalgamation of five union health workers, namely, the Nigeria Union of Allied Health Professionals (NUAHP) and the National Association of Nigeria Nurses and Midwives (NANNM).
Others are the Non Academic Staff Union of Universities and Tertiary Institutions (NASU), the Medical and Health Workers Union of Nigeria (MHWUN) and the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities, Teaching Hospitals, Research Institutions and Associated Institutions (SSAUTHRIAI).
Meanwhile, the National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) has resolved to suspend its strike embarked on since September 4.
Minister of Labour and Employment, Sen. Chris Ngige, said this in a text message (SMS) forwarded to newsmen, yesterday morning in Abuja.