Workers’ unions in Lagos State-owned media organisations commenced a three-day warning strike on Monday to protest against non-payment of the minimum wage and exclusion from the state’s Oracle database for salary disbursement.
The strike, led by the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) and the Radio, Television, Theatre and Arts Workers Union (RATTAWU), resulted in the shutdown of operations at Lagos Television, Radio Lagos/Eko FM, and Lagos Traffic Radio.
The striking workers, carrying placards with messages such as “Minimum wage, a must! Our sweat is drying up” and “Oracle is the answer” marched around their premises singing solidarity songs. A musical band also performed in support.
Speaking to reporters, Mr Adeleye Ajayi, Chairman of Lagos State NUJ, highlighted the workers’ demands for fair wages and inclusion in the Oracle database, which would streamline salary payments.
He emphasised that despite multiple ultimatums to the government, their concerns remained unaddressed.
Ajayi noted that the media workers, unlike their counterparts in other state departments, had not received the N85,000 minimum wage approved months ago.
“Our members are patriotic, dedicated, and deserve better treatment,” he said, urging the government to rectify the situation.
The RATTAWU Chairman, Mr Ishola Adejumo, echoed these sentiments, stating that relying on internally generated revenue to fund salaries was unsustainable.
He called for the immediate migration of media workers to the Oracle database to ensure timely payments.
The unions warned that failure to meet their demands following the warning strike could lead to an indefinite industrial action.
“There is no retreat, no surrender,” Adejumo stated.
