COMMUNIQUE ISSUED AT THE END OF A JOINT STATE EXECUTIVE COUNCIL MEETING OF NIGERIA UNION OF JOURNALISTS, NUJ, BAYELSA STATE COUNCIL AND THE RADION TELEVISION THEATRE AND ART WORKERS UNION , RATTAWU, HELD ON TUESDAY 22 JANUARY, 2013 AT THE RATTAWU STATE SECRETARIAT YENAGOA, BAYELSA STATE

The joint section of the two unions resolved as follows:

1.     That following the approval of the 22% consolidated weigh-in allowance for media workers by president Goodluck  Jonathan since July, 2011, the NUJ and RATTAWU have made several presentation to the Bayelsa State Government through letters and advocacy for its implementation. While media workers in other states and the Federal Government enjoy the allowance, the situation in Bayelsa state is different. We therefore strongly urge the state Government to as a matter of urgency implement the 22% consolidated weigh-in allowance for media workers as approved by the Federal government within the shortest possible time. Otherwise the two unions will be forced to take steps that may be unpleasant to Government.

2.     That payment should include the areas from the effective date in the approval which is July, 2011.

3.     That the two unions are concerned about the lack of equipments in the Bayelsa state owned Niger Delta Television- NDTV, the Bayelsa state News paper cooperation and the Bayelsa state broadcasting cooperation and should provide the required equipments for her media houses for optimal performance, especially outside broadcast vans for NDTV and Radio Bayelsa.

4.     That the two union commend the Hon. Henry Seriake Dickson led Government for the improved security situation in the  Yenagoa metropolis.  

 

Sign:

(1) Comrade Vienna E. Imoukhuede

      State chairman RATTAWU                                      (2) Comrade Tarinyo Akono

                                                                                            State chairman NUJ

 

FG to resume payment of weigh-in allowance to RATTAWU and NUJ

FG to resume payment of weigh-in allowance to RATTAWU and NUJ

on September 24, 2012 - 4:00am A communiqué signed by representatives of the two unions, ministry of labour, ministry of information as well as officials of the salaries and wages commission, agreed to capture arrears from September and for payment to commence October.
The statement said that “following the protest letters written by RATTAWU and NUJ respectively to the Minister of Finance and the Secretary to the Government of the Federation over the stoppage of payment of Weigh–In Allowance for Media and Cultural Sectors of the Federal Public Service, a meeting was held by the Minister of Labour & Productivity with the stakeholders.”
It added that after extensively deliberating on the issues of concern to the trade union “representative of the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation assured that the payment of the old Weigh-In Allowance would be re-commenced in September”…while assuring “that the arrears of the old Weigh – In allowance would be captured and paid along with October Salary.”
According to the communiqué, the “representative of the Budget Office informed the meeting that approval has been given by the Coordinating Minister of the Economy/Minister of Finance for the payment of 50% of the reviewed Weigh–In allowance and that the arrears would be paid in October 2012, provided the Federal Ministry of Finance makes the funds available to the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation (IPPIS) before October 4, 2012
“That the 50% balance would be captured in the 2013 Sectoral Budget. In view of the above, the Budget Office representative stated that the Federal Ministry of Finance would facilitate the relevant processes to ensure that the arrears of new Weigh–In allowance are paid in October, 2012.”