The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has assured that the seven-day warning strike by its workers would soon be called off.
The Medical and Health Workers Union of Nigeria (MHWUN) branch of NAFDAC on Thursday commenced a seven-day warning strike.
The union is demanding among others, payment of promotion arrears owed its members for 2018 and 2019, upward review of job-specific allowances in line with the minimum wage, immediate payment of all pending financial claims, better working environment, immediate resumption of payments of suspended severance allowances to retirees and better modalities in the payment of COVID-19 palliatives.
In a chat with journalists on Friday, NAFDAC Resident Media Consultant, Sayo Akintola, explained that the Director General, Prof Mojisola Adeyeye, had enjoyed a good work relationship with the union and its members since she assumed office over three years ago.
Akintola expressed the displeasure of the Director General over the decision of the union to go ahead with the strike when a meeting was already scheduled with the management of the agency for next week Tuesday.
Akintola stated: “Seriously speaking, it’s being resolved and before the expiration of the seven days, the strike would be called off.
‘’The Director General of NAFDAC, Prof Mojisola Christianah Adeyeye, has enjoyed a good work relationship with the union and its members since she assumed office over three years ago due to her staff-friendly management style.
“In 2018, shortly after Prof Adeyeye assumed office as DG NAFDAC, N484,956,344.43 was total debt owed staff for good manufacturing inspection travels for 2015 – 2017.
‘’Even though the debts were incurred before her appointment as DG, she directed that the debts be paid forthwith in 2018. That was the year she paid a total debt of N3.2b she inherited from her predecessor out of which N2,141,016,305.07 was paid to the Federal Government in 2018. (FIRS) and N548,026,195.07 was paid to the government as missed unpaid operating surpluses for 2015-2017.
“Whatever the issues are, the management and the union would have to sit and discuss to arrive at a mutually beneficial position in the overall interest of our country.
‘’Health workers are in the essential services sector, hence Prof Adeyeye will never treat any matter that affects NAFDAC staff welfare with kid gloves.
“It’s unfortunate that the union had scheduled a meeting with the management for next week Tuesday only to embark on strike on Thursday.
‘’They should have waited for the outcome of the meeting before going on strike.
‘’This is the position of the DG when I spoke to her last night. She also said it is wrong for the union leaders to prevent senior management staff from gaining access to their offices.”