FOLASHADE KEHINDE
WORKERS at the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control have commenced a seven-day warning strike to press home their demands.
The workers, under the aegis of Medical and Health Workers’ Union of Nigeria, are asking Government to pay their promotion arrears for 2018 and 2019 and review their job-specific allowance upward in line with minimum wage among others.
The strike, the union said, would continue until further notice.
This was disclosed in a statement by the Vice Chairman and Public Relations Officer of the Group, Ejor Mike.
He said, “The union is demanding for the payment of promotion arrears for 2018 and 2019 promotions owed their members (NAFDAC Staff).
“More worrisome is that 2020 promoted staff will soon (also) join the queue. This request has lingered for too long hence the strike action.”
On the upward review of job specific allowance, he noted, “Job-Specific Allowance paid to staff of NAFDAC has not been reviewed for the past 10 years or so. Usually, every allowance increases correspondingly with an increase in salary. But unfortunately, this has not been so with regard to the Job Specific Allowance.
“The Union is, therefore, demanding a review of the said Job Specific Allowance in line with the current National Minimum Rate.”
On training, the Union added, “The Management of NAFDAC hides under COVID-19 to avoid training of staff, despite the fact that training has resumed in other MDAs. The Union demands immediate resumption of training for their members.”
The statement said, “Complaint on Delayed Financial Claims by Staff: The Union is worried at the rate at which financial claims by staff are delayed without reasons given for non-payment not even to communicate the affected staff. The Union demands the immediate payment of all pending financial claims by their members.
“Working Environment: The Union raised concerns on the not so conducive working environment in some of our offices and the non-equipping of the driver’s office particularly in Isolo, Lagos where drivers spend their personal money to put the office in good working condition.”
“For instance, the situation where members of staff procure fans for office used by them was viewed as not normal and no longer acceptable,” it noted.
