NAFDAC workers have embarked on an indefinite strike due to unresolved promotion and welfare controversies.
The Senior Staff Association Of Statutory Corporations And Government-Owned Companies (SSASCGOC) issued a communique on October 4, 2024, stating that multiple meetings with management failed to yield positive results.
The strike, which began today, October 7, 2024, involves workers withdrawing all services across all NAFDAC formations nationwide.
Key issues prompting the strike include the review of 2024 Promotion Examination Results, Appointment of Directors, Reform of Promotion Examination Content, and Payment of pending Burial Expenses, Life Insurance & Repatriation Allowance, among others.
According to Comrade (Dr.) Ejor Michael, Secretary of the SSASCGOC, “This decision is a result of NAFDAC Management’s failure to address the critical issues outlined in the Communique within the given time frame.”
The Congress considers this ongoing inaction insufferable and emphasizes that the industrial action will continue unabated until all demands specified in the Communique are fully met.
NAFDAC’s role in regulating food, drugs, cosmetics, medical devices, and chemicals may be impacted by this strike.
Established in 1993, NAFDAC is responsible for ensuring the safety and quality of products in Nigeria.
The agency has been instrumental in combating counterfeit pharmaceuticals and has collaborated with international organizations such as the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United States Food and Drug Administration (USFDA).
In a press release, the SSASCGOC instructed workers to begin the indefinite strike, stating, “You are hereby directed to down tools by withdrawing all your services in compliance with the strike action.”
The release also advised staff to remove personal belongings from offices, as no one will be allowed entry into NAFDAC premises during the strike.
