Adebayo Adenrele
The organised labour movement in Ondo State has threatened to embark on an indefinite industrial action capable of shutting down the Federal University of Technology Akure Teaching Hospital (FUTATH) if its demands are not met.
This warning was jointly signed by the Ondo State Chairman of the Trade Union Congress (TUC), Comrade Clement Fatuase and his Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) counterpart, Comrade Ademola Adeniji Olapade, following the unanimous resolution reached at a strategic meeting of organised labour and health sector unions in FUTATH.
In a letter addressed to the Chief Medical Director, labour leaders accused the hospital management of violating the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) that guided the transition process establishing FUTATH, alleging that the actions of the management threaten industrial peace and undermine workers’ constitutional rights.
According to the unions, the hospital management breached the MoU by excluding workers whose names appeared on the agreed Nominal Roll from the ongoing transition process.
They also alleged that inherited workers were compelled to sign documents renouncing their membership of recognised trade unions as a condition for participating in the transition exercise.
The labour unions described the alleged requirement as a violation of Section 40 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended), which guarantees freedom of association, as well as internationally recognised labour standards.
The labour movement also accused the hospital management of intimidating, victimising and allegedly witch-hunting labour leaders and trade union members because of their legitimate union activities.
It stressed that trade unionism is a constitutionally protected right and not a privilege that can be withdrawn at the discretion of any public officer.
