Strike Action By NAFDAC Workers Persists Due To Unresolved Promotion And Arrears Concerns

Strike Action By NAFDAC Workers Persists Due To Unresolved Promotion And Arrears ConcernsThe Medical and Health Workers Union of Nigeria (MHWUN), NAFDAC Branch, has announced the continuation of their strike indefinitely until their demands are met.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

The strike, which began on October 7, centers on a review of the 2024 promotion examinations and the payment of statutory arrears and benefits for employees hired in 2022.

Adetoboye Ayodeji, chairman of the Kaduna chapter, stated on Saturday that it is now up to the management of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) to initiate negotiations. He emphasized the need for “actionable evidence” that their concerns will be addressed.

The union expressed frustration over delays in fulfilling agreements made in 2022 between the government and NAFDAC management. These agreements aimed to resolve issues related to workers’ conditions of service but have not been implemented. “Allowances due for approval since December 2022 are still pending, and the conditions of service remain unapproved,” Ayodeji lamented.

Despite numerous letters outlining these concerns to NAFDAC’s management, the union has received inadequate responses. Ayodeji noted that while promotion examinations were conducted in 2024, many successful staff members were not promoted, with management citing a lack of vacancies. “At the same time, they were recruiting outsiders for the positions they claimed were vacant,” he alleged.

He reported that out of over 700 staff who took the promotion exams, fewer than 220 were promoted, translating to only 36 percent. “This cannot stand. They must promote at least 80 percent of those who participated,” he insisted. He raised concerns about the impact of low promotion rates on staff morale, stating it could ultimately affect the health of 200 million Nigerians.

The ongoing strike also addresses long-standing issues with allowances in staff salaries that have persisted for over two decades. Despite issuing a two-week notice before the strike, the union received no satisfactory explanation or resolution from NAFDAC management.

In response, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, NAFDAC’s Director-General, denied the allegations in a statement on Monday, asserting that the agency has adhered to regulations regarding the payment of arrears and estacodes and reaffirming its commitment to workers’ welfare.

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