November 23, 2007
THE GUARDIAN: THE TRUE STORY
INTRODUCTION
Readers of The Guardian newspapers should by now beconcerned that their darling newspaper, which hasgrown in the past twenty five years to become theflagship of Nigerian print media has been out ofcirculation. The national leadership of the Nigerian Union ofJournalists (NUJ) has decided to come out, to intimate the world with the developments leading to this sorry pass that the newspaper has found itself and to put in the right perspective the threat it poses to the practice of journalism in Nigeria. We also seek tocorrect the false stories being circulated as the realreason behind the Guardian story.
It is important to state that although workers ofThe Guardian went on strike on 6 November, 2007 topress for better conditions of service, they called off the strike within 24 hours following interventionby Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC). The Guardian management has however since then locked the gates against the workers. So, the truth is that The Guardian workers are not on strike. Guardian workers are one of the most conscientious and some of the best that the industry can be proud of. In spite of cheap blackmail meant to take the shine off the workers’ just demand, it is pertinent to emphasis that our quest, among others, is for a living wage befitting of The Guardian, one that would make their earning come at par with what exists in the industry and the fortune of the company.
THE BACKGROUND
You will recall that workers of the newspaper had embarked on an industrial action in August 2000, to press home similar demand for the enthronement of the culture of collective bargaining and an enhancement of their living wages, which as at that time was extremely below what obtains in the industry. The outcome of the agitation, which lasted for eight days, we dare say, was mutually beneficial to both the workers and their employer. The aftermath of the workers’ agitation was that the management ensured the enthronement of a decent labour culture with worker's welfare being its corner piece. Since then, The Guardian has witnessed anunprecedented industrial harmony and this has impacted in tremendous economic buoyancy of the company. For instance, for years, the Guardian Newspapers has been surpassing its projected revenue by more than 66 percent on the average.
THE CURRENT CRISIS
The NUJ local chapel in The Guardian in March this year commenced negotiations with management for better conditions of service and some welfare issues. A meeting was held on March 8 with Mrs. Maiden Ibru presiding. A wide range of issues including salary review, inadequate and obsolete computers and servers,internet facilities, laptop acquisition scheme,rehabilitation of library, staff bus and others issues were discussed. While the management provided reasons for the delay in meeting some of the needs it also promised to look into some others. On provision of modern computers, cash flow constraint was cited as reasonjust as Mrs Ibru sympathized with the journalists for enduring with malfunctioning and inadequate computers a problem that had lasted for five years. When the union did not hear anything from the management again it followed up with another letter in June following which a management committee was set upto discuss the issues with the unions. The management said the committee had its mandate and pledged to abide by its recommendations. Meetings with committee commenced July 12, 2007.
What are the demands?
• 50 per cent Salary review - This is based on economic dictates, the level of existing salary, the rising fortune of the company and other factors.
• Modernization of the ICT tools of The Guardian -This is as important as salary review as the continuous parlous state of the computerization in the editorialsection is detrimental to the health of the workers.The average age of the workers is 40 years, making them prone to hypertension.
• Upward review of operational allowances such astransport claims and other tools allowances to meetthe reality on the field.
• Pension matters -This was resolved although someareas are outstanding.
• Provision of staff buses - This became imperative as workers close very late and would need to escape the frequent attacks by hoodlums around the vicinity ofthe company.
• Library automation - The Guardian is noted forreports with rich background and depth, which a modern library will enhance.
MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE’S RESPONSE
Asof September 25, 2007 when the committee wound-up its negotiations, there still
exists a stalemate on the percentage of review of the salary and wages. While the union was asking for 50 percent salary review the management insisted on maximum of 20 percent. Issues bothering on operational allowances such as transport claims and tools allowances which were directed to editorial departmental heads of Dr. Jide Oluwajuyitan and Mr. Eluem Emeka Izeze, by the committee, was settled in August. The October date set for the implementation of these allowances was however never kept. The issues of office and libraryautomation were swept under the carpet by themanagement on the excuse of cash flow. The issue
of staff bus was vehemently opposed by the CEO on the excuse that The Guardian is not a banking or hotel institution. The wife of the Guardian chairman, Mrs. Ibru took over the day to day running of the business as the Chief Executive Officer and Group Managing Director of the paper last year. The workers were very excited.Their hope was that for once, the owners of the business would have a first hand experience of what their workers go through to produce a world class newspaper.
THE STATE OF THE GUARDIAN WORKER
The Guardian workers undoubtedly have been going through harrowing times to publish the flagship of the nation’s media. For the past six years, office automation has been problematic due to old age. This has put a lot of stress on the workers’ health. The failure of the management to provide reliable desktop computers and laptop computers compelled the NUJ Guardian chapel to procure, through a leasing company,laptops for some of its members. More than 56 computernotebooks have been provided and are being used within the Guardian system through this initiative. This is just one of the ways the union has been partnering with the management to move the company forward. Even then, these laptops which have taken the stress off the obsolete system could not be used optimally as workers are denied access ports by the management. These, coupled with unstable server for the production of the news items, complicate the job of an average editorial staff, making them prone to stress,hypertension, and other ailments which invariablyreduces life expectancy of The Guardian worker.
EXTERNAL INTERVENTION
After the collapse of negotiation with the committee in September, the committee however recommended 30 percent increase in salaries to the management. This much was revealed by the CEO, at the negotiation table onOctober 24, 2007. It was at this meeting held with the two
in-house unions, National Union of Printing, Publishing and Paper Products Workers, NUPPPROW, and NUJ, that the GUARDIAN management declared that it would not implement the recommendation. Mrs. Ibru at the meeting questioned the workers’ right to propose salary increase and even the quantum to the management. To douse the growing tension that the disagreement generated, the two unions decided to invite other stakeholders such as the State Council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists, NUJ, and the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC. Also invited to mediate were some civil society organizations. Management also invited the Federal Ministry of Labour officials who advised both parties to shift ground and avoid rigid positions.The NUJ State Council attempted to mediate on MondayNovember 5, 2007 and even reduced the demand for salary review to 30 percent.
The Guardian Management refused to seize the opportunity to ensure industrial peace but rather dared the unions to "go ahead and do their worst". Left with a very dim option, the NUJ came on Tuesday, November 6, 2007, to feed the workers back on its negotiation attempt and in a unanimous decision, workers decided to embark on an industrial action.
THE NLC/ MINISTRY OF LABOUR INTERVENTION AND THE LOCKOUT
By Wednesday, November 7, 2007, the NLC led by the National Vice President Comrade Isa Aremu and the head of the Lagos liaison office Elder Linus Ukamba met with the management and appealed that a platform for negotiation should be revived. The same evening, the NLC advised that the strike be suspended action while reconciliation efforts to be led by the NLC officials commenced. Workers complied with this directive. Workers who were coming to resume work on Thursday were thus shocked when they were barred from entering the premises owing to the lockout by the GUARDIAN management. By noon of the same day, the management caused to be pasted on the two main gates a notice directing all workers to go home until further notice. NLC later secured an appointment to commence negotiation with the management against Monday,November 12, 2007. Negotiation eventually took off with the NLC representatives Elder Linus Ukamba. At the negotiation, the management refused move one cent beyond the 20 per cent it has hitherto offered on salary review, while other issues were foreclosed from discussion by management. The meeting was thereafter adjourned till Wednesday November 14, 2007 following the deadlock. Meanwhile the Federal Ministry of Labour and Productivity, invited the two parties to a meeting at their Ikoyi office for Tuesday November 13, 2007.There, a Director had advised that for the sake of industrial harmony and the image of the paper, both parties, especially the management should shift from its benchmark even if it was by one per cent. The two unions reduced their demands to 25 per cent. It was with this at the back of their mind that thetwo unions resumed negotiation on Wednesday. The unions were led by Comrade Aremu. The unduly prolonged meeting achieved nothing, a development that made the NLC representative to advise the unions to suspend the strike action and accept the management’s 20 per cent offer. This advice was ratified by the larger body of workers on Thursday, November 15, 2007 and communicated to management same day. The workers led by National officers of NUPPRROW exchanged draft agreements with management with a resolution that the two parties would meet the following day to harmonize positions.
Guardian management never allowed themeeting to hold. Specifically, the two parties haddifferent views on the effective date of the new salary even as management objected to including theclause that other issues be discussed later while those already concluded be implemented. To them, the strike is all about salary review and should be the only item to be contained in the document. Local union leaders did not talk at the meetings and should not have been blamed at all.Workers who were looking forward to resumption on Friday were therefore surprised when they met locked gates at the GUARDIAN. By evening of the same day, management verbally announced the closure of the newspaper. All workers according to the management are to await the settlement of their terminal benefits.
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