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What's going on at The Guardian?

Written by NVS Reports

Wednesday, 07 November 2007

If you are not already aware, a labour dispute has shut The Guardian down and the paper may be out for weeks because the gulf between management and employees is "pretty deep". We understand that the staff is demanding a 50% pay hike; management is offering 20%. The Nigeria Labour Congress is intervening.

In light of the situation, Staff of The Guardian, and their readers in Nigeria are encouraged to write in their perspectives about the strike and its implications. This strike is said to have implications not just for journalism and labour issues in Nigeria, but also for our political and economic circumstances.

STATEMENT BY THE GUARDIAN

The Management of Guardian Newspapers Limited wishes to inform members of the public that our newspapers have been off the streets and online, following an industrial action called by our workers.

The two unions in our company - Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ), and the National Union of Printing, Publishing and Paper Products Workers (NUPPPPROW) - withdrew their services on Tuesday, November 6, 2007. Their grouse was that our company would not commit to award a 50 per cent raise on their gross pay. Mindful of the prevailing economic situation in the country in general, and the media industry in particular, we offered a more realistic pay increase to the workers. We also held several meetings with the unions, with a view to reaching an agreement on the issue. But the unions rejected our offer outright and stuck to their demand.

We thank our readers and advertisers both in print and online, and the general public for their understanding, and ask that they bear with us over the prevailing situation."

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Robot Robot is offline
Villager

# 1 | 07.11.2007 12:25


	If you ar...Read the full article.

abidde abidde is offline
Villager

# 2 | 07.11.2007 12:43


	Personally, I am surprised that The Guardian is still in operation. This is a media outfit that has outlived its usefulness in several respects. Dozens and dozens of men and women helped that organization to its superior and enviable height. But for whatever reason, the paper rested on its laurel, and started living off its glory days. What innovation has Guardian been involved in recent years? What news has it broken? What first class investigative journalism has the paper done in the last decade or so? The outfit doesn’t even have international presence. It’s got name, but it is stale. What’s worse? The Guardian pays peanuts. I mean it pays peanuts to its lower-level worker (starting from their street-level journalists). If you are a Reuben Abati or any of the other bigshots, that’s fine…but the rest? Yeye rolling! On the average, the Guardian pays almost 35% less than, say, ThisDay. True, unlike ThisDay, the Guardian pays regularly and almost on a consistent basis -- but its pay structure is very dismal. While ThisDay may owe its worker 2-6 months salary before catching up, the Guardian pays on time. ThisDay folks rely mostly on “undertable exchanges” to survive. If they close down Guardian geeeeeeeeeeeeeee no one is going to shed a tear (save for all those street-level workers who might end up on the unemployment line).

Abalukwu Abalukwu is offline
JJC

# 3 | 07.11.2007 13:32


	"We understand that the staff is demanding a 50% pay hike; management is offering 20%" 50% and 20% of what original payment? I pity reporters and writers in Nigeria. I have once wondered how they manage to pay for their accommodation and maintain their families. That is basically why most of them jump at any opportunity to blow the trumpet of politicians and political office holders with ill gotten wealth. Some even resort to blackmail after discovering massive fraud, cover ups, and infighting.

okenikpoto okenikpoto is offline
Villager

# 4 | 07.11.2007 14:02


	Villagers, I hope you all turn your attention to National Daily Newspapers, the only investigative Newspaper in Nigeria at the moment and also fearless for that matter. Even with the threats we are receiving from the ex-governors on the anti-corruption stand we are on and also exposing their corrupt practices. C,mon guys, make my day.

Omowa2 Omowa2 is offline
Villager

# 5 | 07.11.2007 23:20


	=abidde;2091817603> Yeye rolling! On the average, the Guardian pays almost 35% less than, say, ThisDay. True, unlike ThisDay, the Guardian pays regularly and almost on a consistent basis -- but its pay structure is very dismal. While ThisDay may owe its worker 2-6 months salary before catching up, the Guardian pays on time. ThisDay folks rely mostly on “undertable exchanges” to survive. . You fear me ooo, how come you know so much, wow!!! There are people on this site who will read you and start to piss for pant. You sure worked in the media and you are related to Uncle Sad Sam that is why you did not even mention him at all at all. All this is packaging, living on egunje or what is now called flavors and jeunsoke journalism God help us...did I just write that...hey I begi I no know book oooooo omowa2

OluSegun OluSegun is offline
Villager

# 6 | 08.11.2007 04:17


	Eh yah, and to think that i always dreamt of practising my journalism at the Guardian. So, they pay so little... Hmmmm, now, i know better. Now to one of my role models, Oga Abati, this is your chance to play UMYA big time, not on the pages of newspaper. Bring to bear all those wonderful advises you always dishes out particularly when the Federal Government has any face off with the NLC. I can't afford not to read your column for two weeks running. Do something, please do something! On a lighter note, why The Guardian still has any striking worker left at all seriously beats my imagination! To think that they get to see all those vacancies that we all crane our neck to see both on Tuesdays and Thursdays in those days first! They don't know about the word "Apply"? Oh, about This Day, even if they dont pay in six months, the journalists there have hope-Hope that one day ,they 'll either be Special Advisers, Commissioner of information, Special Asistants e.t.c See, for now, This Day is where to practice journalism-"Expectational" Journalism!

temodent temodent is online

# 7 | 08.11.2007 09:14


	Thanks for this piece of information i've been wondering what the problem could have been, because since Tuesday their page had not been updated.

Kelechi Kelechi is offline
Villager

# 8 | 08.11.2007 11:52


	Fond memories I hold of that stable formally known for its reliable reporting and investigative journalism. Even as a student preparing to write my project paper the first name among many others that jumped at me was The Guardian. And so I visited their offices on the Oshodi-Isolo-Aiport-Expressway. I was not disappointed with the library and the level of professional help I got. It is shame that things have degenerated to this. Did ever recover from that fire many years ago? Hmm!

Ochi Dabari Ochi Dabari is offline
Villager

# 9 | 09.11.2007 00:13


	I still find The Guardian refreshing. I do visit the sites of many other Nigerian newspapers now but I prefer the orderliness of The Guardian. They load the news items in a more professional way than most other newspapers. Nothing irritates me like clicking a link and having it stuck or bringing up something different from the title. These do not happen with The Guardian. And they report news and present commentary in a mature way - nothing personalised but still firm. I wish them all the best, but the management needs to address the workers' grievances if they are truly underpaid. The staff seem to be of high quality and deserve the best wages in Nigerian journalism. ochi

Ernest Onwuzulike Ernest Onwuzulike is online

# 10 | 13.11.2007 18:19


	It is quite unfortunate and tragic that the "flagship" of Nigerian press could not practice what it regularly preaches in its powerful editorials on managing Industrial relations amongst other topics. This closure will further exacerbate the declining fortunes of the paper whose quality has plummeted from the Olympian heights of the Stanley Macebuh and Dr.Yemi Ogunbiyi era. The paper has sadly become a copy cat, shamelessly aping This Day on Sunday.Indeed; its major attractions are the Job adverts on Tuesdays and Thursday and the Reuben Abati's weekly columns. I am also puzzled whythe Ibru dynasty with their famed fortunes can not intervene to prop up one of their family heritage. Like Reuben Abati would say, the story of Guardian is akin to the Nigerian story;"How are the mighty fallen!” The loss of Guardian will be the gain of This day. All that is left to nail the coffin of Guardian is for Reuben Abati to cross over to This day.

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