Why NAFDAC Workers Won’t Call Off Strike Till Demands Are Met

Posted by Nwa Diokpa Featured, Latest Headlines, News Across Nigeria Saturday, October 19th, 2024

(AFRICAN EXAMINER) – Workers of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration (NAFDAC) have stated that their strike will continue until their demands are met.

Adetoboye Ayodeji, chairman of the NAFDAC branch of the Medical and Health Union Workers of Nigeria, stated this when he spoke with NAN on Saturday.

Ayodeji enjoined the agency’s management to negotiate with the union to resolve the issue.

The African Examiner writes that workers started an indefinite strike on October 7, asking for a review of the 2024 internal promotion examinations.

He said: “Unfortunately, the management was recruiting at the same time into the positions that they claim there was no vacancy.

“While those that are rising through the ranks are not promoted, outsiders are brought to occupy the positions.

“Only 36 percent of participants in the examinations were promoted. We therefore said no, it is never possible.

“They cannot promote less than 80 percent of the participants.

“We rejected the entire promotion exercise and asked that more staff be promoted. There can never be motivation in an agency where 36 percent of staff are only promoted.

“It will have a devastating effect on the staff morale thereby affecting the health of the 200 million Nigerians.”

According to Ayodeji, there are also issues of unpaid statutory arrears and other benefits to some members of staff.

“The issues in the agreement were supposed to be settled in December 2022 but till date, none of the agreements has been complied with,” he said.

“Allowances that are supposed to be approved on or before December 2022 have not been approved, the condition of service could not be approved.”