The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) in Ondo State have issued a seven-day ultimatum to the management of the Federal University of Technology Akure Teaching Hospital (FUTATH), demanding full compliance with the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) governing the hospital’s transition process.
The organised labour movement conveyed the warning in a letter addressed to the hospital’s management on Monday in Akure, alleging that the institution had breached the MoU by excluding workers whose names appeared on the agreed nominal roll.
The unions also accused the management of intimidating and victimising labour leaders. They warned that failure to address their concerns within seven days would leave them with no option but to invoke all lawful industrial dispute-resolution mechanisms.
The letter was jointly signed by the Ondo State Chairman of the TUC, Comrade Clement Fatuase, and the Ondo State Chairman of the NLC, Comrade Ademola Olapade.
According to the unions, the MoU signed between the Ondo State Government and organised labour is binding and must be implemented in full.
They condemned what they described as disturbing developments surrounding the implementation of the hospital’s transition process, arguing that the management’s actions and omissions represented a serious breach of established industrial relations principles.
The unions stated that the alleged violations, if left unaddressed, amounted to a grave assault on the sanctity of collective bargaining, a direct affront to recognised industrial relations practices, and a dangerous provocation capable of triggering avoidable industrial unrest.
They expressed particular concern over the alleged exclusion of workers whose names appeared on the duly agreed nominal roll attached to the MoU.
The labour bodies further alleged that inherited workers were compelled to sign documents renouncing or disclaiming their membership of duly registered trade unions as a condition for participating in the transition process.
According to the unions, such a requirement constitutes interference with the constitutional right to freedom of association guaranteed under Section 40 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended), and is inconsistent with internationally recognised labour standards.
The organised labour movement also condemned reported cases of intimidation, victimisation, and witch-hunting allegedly directed at labour leaders and trade union members because of their legitimate union activities.
The unions maintained that they would resist, through every lawful means, any attempt to intimidate or suppress the leadership of organised labour.
They stressed that trade unionism is a constitutionally protected institution, not a privilege to be granted or withdrawn at the discretion of any public official.
The unions further demanded the immediate enrolment into the Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System (IPPIS) of every worker whose name appears on the duly authenticated nominal roll attached to the MoU, without discrimination or exclusion.
They also called on the hospital management to end every act capable of victimising, intimidating, or discriminating against labour leaders and members of the TUC, while demonstrating full compliance with all provisions of the MoU.
The labour organisations warned that failure to fully comply with their demands within the seven-day ultimatum would be interpreted as a deliberate rejection of the resolutions reached by organised labour and a continued repudiation of the MoU.
They added that they would immediately activate all lawful industrial dispute-resolution mechanisms available to them.
Responding to the allegations, the Chief Medical Director of the hospital, Prof. Olusegun Ojo, maintained that the MoU did not guarantee the automatic absorption of all existing workers of the University of Medical Sciences Teaching Hospital into the federal establishment.
Speaking with journalists, Prof. Ojo said the agreement clearly stipulated that only workers found suitable would be selected for absorption.
“The MoU clearly states that only those found suitable would be selected. That is exactly what we have done with diligence and fairness,” he said.
In addition, he also stated: “Some people were wrongly informed that everyone would automatically be absorbed into the new hospital, and that is completely untrue”.
