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Workers’
Action Forces ‘The Guardian’ off Newsstands and Website
The Guardian newspapers have been forced off the streets and
newsstands, while the electronic version has disappeared from its
website since November 7 due to an industrial action embarked upon by
the two unions in the medium: the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ)
and the National Union of Printing, Publishing and Paper Products
Workers (NUPPPROW) which are demanding a 50 per cent pay raise, complete
computerisation of the newsroom and a staff bus, among others.
The Unions embarked on the action due to their inability to favourably
resolve the dispute between them and the management of the Guardian
Newspapers Limited, publishers of The Guardian titles.
The Unions
were supported by the nation’s unions’ umbrella body, the Nigeria Labour
Congress (NLC). It threatened to mobilize unions to protect the interest
of employees of the medium should the management of ‘The Guardian’
fail to resume "constructive dialogue" with the workers.
The Management of Guardian Newspapers in a message posted on its website
informed its readers that its newspapers went off the streets and
online, following an industrial action called by its workers.
It said the two unions “withdrew their services on Tuesday, November 6,
2007. Their grouse was that our company would not commit to award a 50
per cent raise on their gross pay.”
The management added it offered a more realistic pay increase to the
workers, mindful of the prevailing economic situation in the country in
general, and the media industry in particular with a view to reaching an
agreement on the issue, but that the unions rejected its offer outright
and stuck to their demand.
Mr. Wahaab
Alabi Oba, chairman of the Lagos State Council of the NUJ, said after
eight months of negotiations with the management of The Guardian, it had
become obvious that the issue is not about its inability to meet the
unions' demands but arrogance and lack of will.
The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) condemned the continued closure of the
newspaper house by its publishers saying it is against the Trade Dispute
Act. NLC said what the company had done shows that it is not interested
in the peaceful resolution of the crisis between the Management and its
workers.
The Congress’ General Secretary, John Odah in a letter to Mrs. Maiden
Ibru said the continuing closure of the organisation after much progress
has been made in resolving the management-labour dispute is wholly
unhelpful.
He appealed to the management to reopen the organization, while also
expressing the willingness of N LC to give guarantee on behalf of the
workers should there be any legitimate fears that need to be allayed.
He said: “We urge you to re-open the company without delay while we
again talk through any of the outstanding labour issues. Certainly there
has been error in the interaction between the management and the unions
over the dispute, which is not to suggest that the workers do not have
the interest of the company or are unreasonable”.
According to him there are already unhealthy speculations as to the real
reasons for the continued closure of the guardian newspapers by the
proprietors, including the contemplation of mass dismissal.
But the N LC said those speculations not withstanding, it sincerely
hopes that prudence will prevail all the way.
“Every thing must be done to ensure that this matter is not escalated,
nor allowed to extend to a situation that will draw in other segments of
organized labour outside the media industry”.
“All the parties have what it
takes to implement the current agreement reached this week and work out
terms of future engagement. Going for the kill, as seems to be the
resolve of the management, will not help”, he said.
At the end
of work November 30, 2007, the dispute had not been resolved neither had
the strike action been called off. |
