Some workers of ThisDay Newspapers on Tuesday gave its management a 3-day ultimatum to clear their backlog of unpaid salaries or face industrial action.
In a letter to the newspaper’s publisher and Chairman, Leaders and Company, Nduka Obaigbena, the workers threatened to proceed on a week-long warning strike and make the strike indefinite if nothing is done about their unpaid salaries within the stated period.
The workers, mostly editorial staff in the Abuja Bureau Office, said the decision to declare a warning strike came with much pain.
Signatories to the notice include Tobi Soniyi, Olawale Ajimotokan, Patrick Ugeh, Senator Iroegbu, James Emejo, Omololu Ogunmade, Paul Obi, Ndubusi Francis, Dele Ogbodo, Damilola Oyedele, Chineme Okafor, Godwin Omoigui and Onyebuchi Ezigbo.
“For several years, we have sacrificed everything – emotionally, physically and materially – to ensure the continued survival of THISDAY, but regrettably, the organisation has demonstrated an abysmal disregard for these gestures,” the letter read in part.
According to the letter, the staff said if by Friday the management of the company failed to pay their outstanding salaries running into several months, they would embark on a one-week strike from Sunday June 12 until June 19.
It would be recalled that in July last year, workers in the newspaper’s head office in Lagos, led by the Lagos State Chairman of the Nigerian Union of Journalists, Deji Elumoye, also a ThisDay Staff, carried out a similar action to protest the non-payment of their salaries and non-remittance of staff personal income tax, pension, cooperative deductions and check-off dues for over four years.
The full statement
“Dear Chairman,
“Having borne the brunt of Management’s non-payment of our salaries —- running into several months, we, the undersigned Editorial Staff of THISDAY Abuja, have come to the painful decision to declare a warning strike.
“Should the management fails to pay us by Friday, June 10, 2016, we will have no option than to embark on a one-week warning strike from Sunday June 12, 2016 until June 19, 2016.
“Please, note that an indefinite strike will ensue at the expiration of the warning strike.
“By this letter, we are putting the management on notice that effective Sunday June 12, 2016, we will cease to send stories to all THISDAY titles until our salary arrears are defrayed. In this case, we will supply stories to all the titles from now until Saturday June 11, 2016.
“For several years, we have sacrificed everything- emotionally, physically and materially to ensure the continued survival of THISDAY but regrettably, the organisation has demonstrated an abysmal disregard for these gestures.
“We need not state the obvious that virtually all of us here can no longer meet our obligations both to our families and other responsibilities.
“Thanking you for your urgent response.
“Signed:
- Tobi Soniyi
- Olawale Ajimotokan
- Patrick Ugeh
- Senator Iroegbu
- James Emejo
- Omololu Ogunmade
- Paul Obi
- Ndubusi Francis
- Dele Ogbodo
- Damilola Oyedele
- Chineme Okafor
- Godwin Omoigui
- Onyebuchi Ezigbo
