Unpaid Allowances: NASS staff threaten to continue strike

Staff members of the National Assembly during a protest against alleged nonpayment of their allowances, poor remuneration and non-implementation of CONLESS, a new salary structure approved since 2010 for them, at the National Assembly in Abuja on Monday (4/12/18). 06284/4/12/2018/Hogan Bassey/ICE/NAN

National Assembly workers under the auspices of the Parliamentary Staff Association of Nigeria (PASAN) on Friday threatened to embark on an indefinite strike if the management of the legislature failed to meet their demands.

The Chairman of PASAN, Musa Bature, gave the warning at a press briefing in Abuja.

The aggrieved staff had on December 4 picketed the assembly complex, grounding legislative proceedings in both houses for the day.

The House of Representatives at its Thursday plenary asked the Minister of Finance, Zainab Ahmed, to appear before it to give explanations as to why the PASAN’s funds captured in the 2018 Budget was yet to be released.

Addressing journalists, Mr Bature said that the picketing which started on Tuesday was to last till Thursday December 6 as a prelude and warning signal to a proposed total strike action billed to begin on December 18, but for the intervention of NASS leadership.

He stressed that the planned industrial action would commence as earlier scheduled if their demands were not met as promised.

”We thank the political leadership of National Assembly for their intervention.

The leadership of the national body of PASAN as well as zonal leadership and members of the two chapters that make up FCT zone, namely National Assembly Service Commission and Public Complaint Commission, will not relent in our effort.

”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,” he said.

NAN

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