NASS workers threaten to stall 2019 budget presentation over unpaid allowances
By There are strong indications that the ongoing crisis trailing the delay in payment of salary increase of National Assembly workers, may stall the presentation of 2019 budget proposal by President Muhammadu Buhari as the workers threatened to embark on indefinite strike action.
Udo Udoma, Minister of Budget and National Planning after the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting held on Friday had gave its nod to the President to transmit the 2019 budget proposal to the National Assembly.
Musa Bature, chairman, Parliamentary Staff Association of Nigeria (PASAN), National Assembly chapter, who issued the threat notice at a press briefing held in Abuja, disclosed that the institution will be shut down by 18th December, 2018.
“We hereby reiterate that the proposed indefinite industrial action that will ground all legislative activities of the National Assembly will commence as earlier scheduled if our demands are not met as promised,” he said.
Bature explained that 3-day industrial action was suspended in
response to the intervention of the Senate President, Bukola Saraki
and Speaker Yakubu Dogara and other principal officers who gave
assurances that the issues will be resolved.
He said the suspension of the picketing is “a mark of respect to
President of the Senate, Rt. Hon. Speaker of the House of
Representatives, Principal officers of the two chambers for their
fatherly intervention and amiable leadership capacity display towards
resulting the industrial relation between the Legislators, Management
and staff Union.
“We hereby reiterate that the proposed indefinite industrial action
that will ground all legislative activities of National Assembly will
commence as earlier scheduled if the demands are not met as promised.”
Aside the aforementioned demand, PASAN want the following: Condition
of Service for the staff of National Assembly Service, promotion,
conversion and staff upgrade, training and consultancy.
Explaining further on the condition of service for the staff among
other pressing demands, Bature hinted that: “the outgoing Board of the
National Assembly Service Commission led by Dr Adamu Fika OFR
(Chairman) transmitted a review Condition of Service to the National
Assembly for their approval in line with provision of the National
Assembly Service Act, 2014, but the National Assembly (Senate and
House of Representatives) has delayed the consideration of the
Condition of Service since July 2018.
“The staff of National Assembly overtime has never had any challenges
with Promotion, conversion and upgrading in their progression until
recently when career progression of the staff became tied to no
vacancy syndrome excuse. Also, there has been delay in making
appropriate appointments into offices such as the Deputy Clerk
National Assembly (DCNA) Deputy Clerk House of Representative
(Legislative and Admin), Secretaries of Directorates and Directors of
Departments, etc.
“Unilaterally the management claims there are no vacancies for staff
on Grade Level 7 and above in gross violation of the service rules as
they arrogated to itself the power of the National Assembly Service
Commission whose duty it is in line with the provision of National
Assembly Service Act to Appoint, Promote and Discipline Staff of
National Assembly.
“Staff training for legislative staff is pivotal and germane if our
democracy must advance. The service rules for effective and efficient
services leading to high productivity are also points to note. However
it is highly regrettable to note that only in National Assembly that
staff are deprive and denied of training. Some of our members have not
attended any training for over 10 years and neither is there any
policy or template in National Assembly.
“It’s disappointing to inform you that in recent times, the top
management who has retired from service whereas not allow to proceed
on retirement leave and upon their retirement, they retained the same
office spa and handle the schedule that should have been taken over by
the next ranking officer.”
While reacting to position of the House spokesman, Abdulrazak Namdas who described the picketing of National Assembly as illegal, the PASAN chairman said the House spokesman is not in tune with the provisions of the extant Labour Act.
KEHINDE AKINTOLA, Abuja