Members of the Parliament Staff Association of Nigeria have threatened to start a strike action from Monday, January 10, 2022, over the failure of the National Assembly management to pay their allowance arrears.
The National Assembly workers on Thursday staged a peaceful protest to press home their demands, requesting, in particular, the payment of eight months outstanding national minimum wage as well as 15 months CONPECULIAR allowances.
According to a communiqué on Thursday and issued after the joint NASS/NASC congress held in Abuja, the workers led by the Chairman of PASAN National Assembly, Sunday Sabiyi, and Vice Chairman of National Assembly Service Commission, M. A Liman, demanded full implementation of the national minimum wage signed into law in 2019 as well as the revised condition of service.
The workers in the two-page communiqué accused the National Assembly management of “breach of the Memorandum of Understanding 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”.
It added, “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, six months arrears of hazard allowance to National Assembly staff.
In addition to the MOU, congress also demands the implementation of a 50 percent 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.”
