NAFDAC WORKERS |
The Medical and Health Workers Union of Nigeria (MHWUN), NAFDAC branch, has embarked on an indefinite strike, demanding a review of the 2024 promotion exams and the payment of statutory arrears owed to employees hired in 2022. The strike, which began on October 7, comes after months of unmet agreements between the union and the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC).
Adetoboye Ayodeji, chairman of MHWUN's Kaduna chapter, emphasized on Saturday that the onus is now on NAFDAC to open negotiations. He expressed frustration over the agency's failure to implement agreements reached in 2022, which were meant to resolve longstanding grievances regarding workers' conditions of service.
Ayodeji revealed that many staff members who passed the 2024 promotion exams were not promoted, with NAFDAC citing a lack of vacancies. However, he accused the agency of recruiting outsiders for positions that were supposed to be filled internally, leaving eligible staff sidelined. "Out of over 700 workers who took the exams, less than 220 were promoted, which is only 36 percent," Ayodeji said. "We are demanding that at least 80 percent of participants be promoted to boost morale in the agency."
The union is also protesting over unpaid allowances and arrears, some of which have been pending for over 20 years. Despite giving NAFDAC a two-week notice before the strike, the management has yet to offer any resolution.
In response, NAFDAC's Director-General, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, denied the allegations and assured the public that the agency remains committed to following established rules on the payment of arrears and ensuring workers' welfare.
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