Workers at the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) have announced an indefinite strike to protest what they described as poor welfare and remuneration conditions by the agency's management.
The workers' bodies, under the umbrella of the Senior Staff Association of Statutory Corporations and Public Undertakings (SSASCGOC), an affiliate of the NAFDAC Trade Union Congress, and the Association of Health and Medical Workers, on Monday directed their members to remove their personal belongings from their offices, as access to NAFDAC premises would be prohibited during the strike period.
For both unions, this decision comes after the 14-day ultimatum issued to management on September 20 expired without resolving the issues in dispute.
However, NAFDAC management has denied any wrongdoing, insisting that it is not they who control the number of workers to be promoted but the office of the Head of Service of the Federation.
Release
In the statement issued, the unions said that after careful deliberations, the unions “unanimously resolved to embark on an indefinite nationwide strike across all NAFDAC formations.”
The Association of Medical and Healthcare Workers also said it issued the directive for an indefinite strike, “following the expiration of the 14-day ultimatum issued by Congress, and the NAFDAC leadership's failure to consider concerns raised by NAFDAC section leaders.”
SSASCGOC, in its statement, also expressed frustration over the current inaction of the NAFDAC leadership, calling it “unbearable”, and emphasized that the strike would persist until all demands were met.
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Both unions are demanding payment of employees' 2022 salary arrears and disbursement of all outstanding burial expenses, life insurance payments and repatriation allowances.
According to SSASCGOC, prompt payment of these arrears is crucial to maintaining staff morale and ensuring employees receive fair compensation for their work.
The unions are also calling for an immediate review and re-evaluation of the results of the 2024 Promotion Examination, which achieved a pass rate of only 35 percent.
The associations consider this figure unacceptable and demand a minimum pass rate of 80 percent for current and future exams. They have also called for a review of the current content of the promotion exam, calling it overly academic and disconnected from the actual responsibilities of staff.
They warned that any exam that does not meet the new standards would be boycotted.
SSASCGOC also called for full utilization of promotion vacancies, noting that leaving them empty is unacceptable and detrimental to the career of staff members.
The union insisted that “promotion exercises must achieve the minimum approval rating of 80 percent.”
It also expresses concern about the “practice of officials personally funding local and foreign trips and later requesting reimbursement.
“Going forward, all official travel expenses must be covered in full by management before the start of any local or international travel,” the union said.
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“The practice of officers taking promotion examinations in cadres other than their originally designated cadre at the time of their entry (employment), without possessing the required qualifications or without undergoing formal conversion as stipulated in the existing regulations, is totally unacceptable.
“To maintain fairness and compliance with existing regulations, NAFDAC management must address this issue promptly. “It is crucial that promotion examinations are conducted in strict compliance with the stipulated guidelines, ensuring that officers are evaluated within their appropriate cadres and meet all required qualifications,” the union said.
NAFDAC reacts
Reacting to this news, the Director General of NAFDAC, Mojisola Adeyeye, a professor, stated that the reasons given by the striking workers against the agency are not true.
Mrs. Adeyeye, who spoke in a telephone interview with our reporter, said whether it is a promotion or code issue, the agency has been following the rules and is committed to promoting the welfare of workers.
She said: “We are not in charge of the number of people to promote, we are only responsible for conducting the exams. The office of the Head of the Federation Service (HOS) is always responsible for allocating available vacancies that the government can pay for.
“It's not that there is a vacancy and we are not promoting. What the government can pay is what it approves as a vacancy each year. “It’s no different than any other agency.”
On the issue of estacode, raised by the striking workers, Mrs. Adeyeye said there is nothing wrong with the agency's estacode policy. “That's just playing to the gallery. “Our staff have always been paid their fair share, so that’s not a problem.”
“We are no different from any other agency, the estacode will be paid when evidence of the trip is presented. We have never owed any travel allowance to any staff,” added the Director General.