Radio, Television, Theatre and Arts workers suspend strike

By Stanley Onyekwere
The leadership of the Radio, Television, Theatre and Art Workers Union (RATTAWU) yesterday suspended its three-day warning, but to continue in states with non-payment of weighing allowance.
Accordingly, the Union called on its members to resume work today (Friday) as the government and the union have signed a resolution that facilitated the immediate suspension of the strike.
The suspension is coming as a prelude to the meeting scheduled by the Federal Ministry of Labour today, to discuss the issues raised by the RATTAWU and Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ).
Recall that following the RATTAWU’s declaration of a three day warning strike on Wednesday, to express their demands on matters they consider germane to optimal performance in the public media outfits, the minister of Information, convened a consultative meeting between the top management of the ministry, its parastatals and both leaderships of RATTAWU and NUJ amongst others.
Announcing the suspension, both the leadership of the RATTAWU and NUJ, in a joint press conference held at the national headquarters of the Nigerian Television Authority, Area 11, Abujam, said the government has demonstrated commitment towards resolving issues at stake, by signing 8-points resolutions with the unions.

According to the officials of the two unions, the stage of the agreement has surpassed any limitation or possibility of being ignored or jettisoned by any administration present or future.
RATTAWU’s National President, Comrade Oluyemisi Bamgbose, said already the ministry of information has set up a committee to monitor the implementation of all the resolutions agreed.
“I discovered that in the media we have slept for many years, I know that with what we have started now it is going to be very difficult for any government to shy away to what we have signed.
“We can assure that we made it clear in all the letters that we sent out that this strike is just a warning strike.
“If by whatever means government want to deviate from the agreement, that is when we will call everybody out on indefinite strike action.” He said

Similarly, the NUJ president, Mohammed Garba, reiterated that strike is really is not completely out of their reach, assuring that whatever happens tomorrow and early next week before Christmas, the leadership of the unions will still get back to their respective members.
He noted that the warning strike should be a warning to private media organisations to do the needful to the members of the union.