Ondo NLC, TUC threaten strike over FUTATH workers victimisation

The organised labour unions in Ondo State have warned the management of the Federal University of Technology Akure Teaching Hospital against the alleged victimisation and harassment of workers in the institution.

The organised labour, under the auspices of the Nigeria Labour Congress and the Trade Union Congress, alleged that FUTATH workers were being victimised because of their membership of trade unions.

The allegation was contained in a letter addressed to the hospital management and jointly signed by the Ondo State Chairmen of the NLC and the TUC, Comrade Demola Olopade and Comrade Clement Fatuwase. A copy of the letter was made available to our correspondent on Monday.

According to the letter, the labour unions said it was the constitutional right of every worker to belong to a trade union.

The letter read in part, “Persistent reports of intimidation, victimisation and witch-hunting of labour leaders and trade union members solely on account of their legitimate trade union activities. Organised Labour shall resist, through every lawful means, any attempt to intimidate or suppress the leadership of its affiliates.

“Organised Labour wishes to remind your office that trade unionism is a constitutionally protected institution, not a privilege to be granted or withdrawn at the discretion of any public officer. No chief executive, regardless of office, possesses the legal authority to undermine workers’ lawful right to organise or to disregard obligations arising from a duly executed agreement.”

The unions also asked the Federal Government-owned teaching hospital to address what they described as a breach of the Memorandum of Understanding governing the transition process from the state to the Federal Government through the exclusion of workers whose names appeared on the duly agreed nominal roll.

They urged the hospital “to ensure the IPPIS enrolment of every worker whose name appears on the duly authenticated nominal roll attached to the Memorandum of Understanding without discrimination or exclusion.”

They also asked the hospital to “immediately discontinue any practice that requires or pressures workers to renounce or disclaim membership of any lawful trade union, cease every act capable of victimising, intimidating or discriminating against labour leaders and trade union members, and demonstrate full compliance with the provisions of the Memorandum of Understanding.”

The unions threatened to embark on industrial action if the hospital failed to accede to their demands.

“Failure to comply fully with the foregoing demands within the stipulated seven-day period shall be interpreted as a deliberate rejection of the resolutions of Organised Labour and a continued repudiation of the Memorandum of Understanding.

“In that event, Organised Labour shall have no alternative but to immediately activate all lawful industrial dispute resolution mechanisms available to it, including the commencement of an indefinite industrial action that may result in the total shutdown of the Federal University of Technology Akure Teaching Hospital, in accordance with applicable labour laws and due process,” the letter read.

Reacting, the Chief Medical Director of FUTATH, Prof. Olusegun Ojo, denied the allegations, saying the management had complied with the provisions of the Memorandum of Understanding and had not victimised any worker.

Speaking with journalists in his office, Ojo said, “It was disappointing to hear labour leaders publicly declare that they intended to make my work difficult. They appeared not to have studied the MoU. Had they asked, I would have gladly explained it to them. I had already discussed the MoU with their leadership.

Unfortunately, misunderstanding of the agreement resulted in unnecessary disruptions.

“It is disappointing that educated people would disrupt the peace of a hospital. If there are concerns about the leadership, there are established channels for addressing them. Hospitals care for cancer patients, people with severe infections and patients awaiting surgery. Even during war, hospitals are protected. I expected greater restraint regardless of their grievances,” the CMD stated.