Media workers in Kwara State-owned establishments have affirmed their decision to embark on a warning strike starting tomorrow (Tuesday) due to the state government’s alleged failure to meet their demands.
The unions, consisting of the National Union of Paper Products, Printing and Publishing Workers (NUPPPROW), Radio, Television and Theatre Arts Workers Union (RATTAWU), and the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), announced the industrial action following a joint emergency congress held in Ilorin.
The strike, scheduled to take place between Tuesday and Wednesday, is a result of the unions’ dissatisfaction with the state government’s handling of issues related to the welfare and working conditions of media and cultural workers.
Key grievances include the government’s failure to recognize state-owned media workers as essential employees and the non-implementation of a 100% essential allowance.
In an earlier notice of the warning strike, the unions called for an immediate revision of the weigh-in allowance to be in line with the minimum wage of ₦30,000 and a 27% increment based on grade level, demands that have yet to be addressed.
The unions also highlighted issues such as the non-implementation of 2021 and 2022 promotion exercises, the neglect of equipment and facilities in media houses, annual increment anomalies, and career progression stagnation.
Furthermore, the media workers expressed dissatisfaction with the imposition of junior officers as Corporation Secretaries and Controllers of Finance and Supply (CFAs) in state-owned media houses.
These appointments, according to the unions, often occur without considering global best practices and are made from the office of the state Head of Service and Ministry of Finance.
Despite a meeting held with the Governor’s Chief of Staff, Prince Mahe Abdulkadir-led state government negotiation team on Sunday, where an appeal was made to shelve the warning strike, the unions emphasized their inability to act independently of the congresses of each union.
The monitoring and compliance teams have been set up to oversee the strike action in each of the state-owned media houses during the designated period.
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