Unpaid arrears: National Assembly workers to begin strike Monday

Hundreds of National Assembly workers under the aegis of Parliament Staff Association of Nigeria (PASAN), on Thursday, staged a peaceful protest to press home the demand for immediate payment of eight months outstanding of national minimum wage as well as 15 months CONPECULIAR allowances.

The workers led by the chairman of PASAN National Assembly (NASS), Sunday Sabiyi and Vice Chairman of National Assembly Service Commission (NASC), M. A Liman, threatened to embark on strike as from Monday, January 10, 2022, and demanded full implementation of the National Minimum Wage signed into law in 2019 as well as the revised condition of service.

The PASAN communiqué dated January 6, 2022, and issued after the joint NASS/NASC Congress held in Abuja, was transmitted the Congress resolution to the Senate President, Senator Ahmad Lawan; Speaker, House of Representatives, Hon Femi Gbajabimila; Chairman, National Assembly Service Commission (NASC), Engr Ahmed Mashi; Director of Department of State Service (DSS); Divisional Police Officer (DPO) at the National Assembly and Head of Sergeant-at-Arms, respectively.

The workers in the two-page communiqué accused the National Assembly management of “breach of the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) entered with PASAN on the 13th of April, 2021 on the full implementation of the new national minimum wage Act 2019 and the Revised condition of service, Congress hereby observes the following: Breach of MOU by the decision of the management not to honour it as at 31st December 2021, is the fourth quarter of 2021.

“In view of the resolutions, Congress resolves to embark on industrial action, commencing with mass picketing from Monday, January 10, 2022, in protest of the breach of the MOU.

“In view of the contraventions above, the NASC/NASS joint emergency congress resolves as follows: That management should pay with immediate effect 5 months outstanding balance of minimum wage, the year 2021 rent subsidy, 15 months arrears of CONPECULIAR allowances, 6 months arrears of hazard allowance to National Assembly staff.

“In addition to the MOU, Congress also demands the implementation of 50 per cent balance of CONLESS, immediate release of the year 2022 training template for staff and evidence of provision of gratuity for retiring staff.

“Whereas management had earlier identified the supplementary budget 2021 as one amongst various sources of funding the MOU, congress is amazed that suddenly the Supplementary budget and virement of the 2021 fiscal appropriation have become the source of funding items not captured in the MOU including end of year bonus and promotion arrears,” the communiqué stated.

(Nigerian Tribune)