The Medical and Health Workers Union of Nigeria (MHWUN), NAFDAC Branch, has pledged to persist with its ongoing strike until its demands are addressed. Speaking with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Kaduna, the chapter’s Chairman, Adetoboye Ayodeji, emphasized that the union is awaiting the agency’s management to initiate negotiations and show concrete steps toward resolving the workers’ grievances.
The strike, which began on October 7, is centered on demands for a review of the 2024 promotion examinations and concerns that many staff members, despite being qualified, were not promoted due to an alleged “vacancy slot” policy from the Head of Service. Ayodeji also highlighted that some employees hired in 2022 had not received statutory arrears and other benefits owed to them.
According to Ayodeji, an agreement was signed in 2022 between the union, NAFDAC management, and the government regarding the workers’ conditions of service, but none of the issues have been resolved. He lamented that allowances due by December 2022, as well as other terms outlined in the agreement, remain unapproved.
The union has repeatedly written to NAFDAC management to address these concerns but has not received an adequate response. The strike will continue until the demands, including the promotion of staff who passed the 2024 exams, are met.