Wire agency workers begin warning strike tomorrow

The joint unions of the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) under the auspices of the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ), Amalgamated Union of Public Corporation Civil Service Technical and Recreational Services Employees (AUCPTRE) and Radio, Television Theatre and Art Workers Union of Nigeria (RATTAWU) are expected to proceed on a three-day warning strike tomorrow Wednesday. 

The unions in a joint statement said the warning strike would commence midnight of tomorrow, Wednesday, July 25th 2018. 

The NUJ branch Chairman, Yetunde Bada, Secretary NUJ, Bukola Adewumi, Chairman of AUCPTRE, Suleiman Haruna, Secretary AUCPTRE, Uduak Oputa, Chairman RATTAWU, Daniel Akaphiare and Secretary of RATTAWU, Isiaka Sakiru, jointly signed the statement. 

The unions are demanding the implementation of conditions of service that was last reviewed 16 years ago, payment of promotion arrears for 2012 and 2017, and payment of shortfall of promotion arrears of 2014, 2015 and 2016. 

Other demands include the payment of DTA and hotel allowances to staff that were paid pittance to leave their base to write the 2018 promotion examination in Lagos and Abuja and the payment of repatriation allowances of foreign correspondents.

Also, the unions are demanding training of staff to enhance efficiency and effectiveness, payment of overtime arrears to drivers and arrears of more than 48 months transportation allowance to staff of the editorial department.

The unions said all the staffers of the agency would down tools if their demands were not met before the close of business on Wednesday, 25th July 2018.