Emmanuel Thomas, Lagos
October 10, 2015 – The Lagos State chapter of the Nigerian Union of Journalists(NUJ) has hinted that it has capacity to sustain industrial action it declared on Daily Independent Newspaper to force management to clear 23 month salary arrears owed workers.
He said picketing will start at 9.AM Monday. He explained that the union declared industrial action following refusal of management to meet with the chairman and other members of the executive council after sending two letters to management of Independent Newspapers Nigeria Limited(INL) publishers of the newspaper. He said that Managing Director of the newspaper, Mr. Ted Iwere showed no respect for the union by refusing to meet with the union but rather asked NUJ to meet with an OND admin officer which the union saw as nothing but an insult.
He said the union will picket the newspaper until management is able to clear all arrears of salary and other emoluments, after which the union will sit down with management to determine a new organogram and management to run the 14 year old newspaper.
Also speaking at the congress, a representative of the local chapter of the union(names withheld) said that the workers are tired of management which recently launched state-of- the-arts newsroom but refused to pay salaries adding that many who are line editors have recently been converted to correspondent and that the policy of the management has watered down content of the newspaper such that companies no longer see the need to advertise in the newspaper.
He described Iwere as a very stubborn individual who knows all and therefore not at liberty to listen to others.
