NAFDAC workers embark on indefinite strike over welfare issues

Workers of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) have announced an indefinite strike to protest what they described as the poor welfare conditions and remuneration by the agency’s management.

The workers’ bodies, under the umbrella of the Senior Staff Association of Statutory Corporations and Government-Owned Companies (SSASCGOC), an affiliate of the Trade Union Congress of NAFDAC, and the Medical and Health Workers Association, 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 20 September expired without resolution of the issues in contention.

However, the management of NAFDAC has denied any wrongdoing, insisting that it is not in control of the number of workers to promote but that the office of the Head of Service of the Federation does.

Communique

In the communique issued, the unions said after careful deliberations, the unions, “unanimously resolved to embark on an indefinite nationwide strike across all NAFDAC formations.”

The Medical and Health Workers Association also said it issued the directive for an indefinite strike, ‘following the expiration of the 14-day ultimatum issued by the congress, and failure of the NAFDAC management to consider the concerns raised by the leadership of the NAFDAC branch.”

SSASCGOC, in its statement, also expressed frustration over the ongoing inaction of the NAFDAC management, labelling it as “insufferable,” and emphasised that the strike would persist until all demands are met.

Demands

Both unions are demanding the payment of 2022 outstanding salary arrears for employees and the disbursement of all outstanding burial expenses, life insurance payments, and repatriation allowances.

According to SSASCGOC, the prompt payment of these arrears is crucial to maintaining staff morale and ensuring that employees are fairly compensated for their work.

The unions are also calling for an immediate review and re-evaluation of the 2024 Promotion Examination results, which saw a pass rate of only 35 per cent.

The associations said they deem this figure unacceptable and are demanding a minimum pass rate of 80 per cent for current and future examinations. They have also called for the review of the current promotion examination content, describing it as excessively academic and disconnected from actual staff responsibilities.

They warned that any examination that fails to meet new standards would be boycotted.

SSASCGOC also called for the full utilization of promotion vacancies, noting that leaving promotion vacancies empty is unacceptable and detrimental to the career of the staff members.

The union insisted that “promotion exercises must meet the minimum 80 per cent pass rate benchmark”

It also expresses concern over the “practice of staff members personally financing local and foreign trips and subsequently seeking reimbursement.

“Moving forward, all official travel expenses must be fully covered by management prior to the commencement of any local or international trips,” the union said.

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“The practice where officers take promotion examinations in cadres different from their originally designated cadre at the point of entry (employment), without possessing the requisite qualifications or undergoing formal conversion as stipulated by extant rules, is totally unacceptable.

“To maintain fairness and compliance with extant rules, the NAFDAC Management must address this issue promptly. It is crucial that promotion examinations are conducted in strict adherence to the stipulated guidelines, ensuring that officers are assessed within their proper cadres and meet all requisite qualifications,” the union said.

NAFDAC reacts

Reacting to the development, the Director General of NAFDAC, Mojisola Adeyeye, a professor, said the reasons advanced 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 matter of promotion or estacode, the agency has been following the rules and is committed to promoting the workers’ welfare.

She said: “We are not in charge of the number of people to promote, we are only responsible for conducting exams. The office of the Head of Service of the Federation (HOS) is always responsible for allocating available vacancies that the government can pay for.

“It is not that there is vacancy and we are not promoting. It is what the government can pay for that they approve as vacancy every year. It is not different from any other agency.”

On the issue of estacode, as raised by the striking workers, Mrs Adeyeye said there is nothing wrong with the agency’s estacode policy. “That is just playing to the gallery. Our staff have always been paid their due estacode and so, that is not an issue.”

“We are not different from any other agency, the estacode will be paid when the evidence of the trip is presented. We have never owed any staff any travel allowance,” the DG added.