Media blackout looms in Nigeria as journalists start strike action over unpaid salaries

NIGERIA faces the prospect of a partial media blackout after the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) threw its weight behind the ongoing strike action by employees of several media houses over unpaid salary arrears.

 

In several of Nigeria's leading media houses including Africa Independent Television (AIT) and ThisDay Newspapers, workers have not been paid for the last eight months. They have subsequently embarked upon industrial action and the NUJ is backing their cause, calling on the employers pay up.

 

NUJ national secretary, Shuaib Usman Leman, said that apart from throwing its weight behind the staff of AIT and ThisDay, the union will take further action which includes but not limited to the closure of the offices of the media outfits nationwide. He added that the NUJ is angered by the fact that the management of ThisDay Newspapers has reneged on its promise to pay at least one month last Tuesday.

 

Mr Leman warned that the NUJ will take all necessary legal steps to uphold the rights of its members in ThisDay, if all the arrears are not cleared by Friday, as promised by the publishing house. In addition, the union advised other media houses, including Newswatch, the National Mirror and AIT, who are also owing, to immediately pay up or face its wrath, threatening to picket them without any further notice.

 

Salary arrears are now an increasing problem as both the public and private sectors are struggling to pay their staff. About half of Nigeria's states owe their civil servants salary arrears, with some owing as much as a year's salaries.