Public Service Workers Insist on Strike – TheNigerialawyer

* Senate begs SSASU, NASU to shelve strike action

The Trade Union side of the Joint National Public Service
Negotiation Council (JNPSNC) yesterday directed its members in all
public service as well as the 36 states and Abuja to get ready for
a total showdown with government should the negotiation on the
consequential adjustment of the N30.000 monthly new national
minimum wage breaks down.

This is coming as the Senate yesterday appealed to both the
Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) and the
Non-Academic Staff Union of Universities (NASU) not to embark on
their planned nationwide strike in the interest of Nigeria’s
educational sector.

The unions after their meeting, also reviewed downward their
demands from 66.66 per cent to 30 per cent for officers on grade
levels 07-14 and 25 per cent for officers on grade levels
15-17.

On its part, the government side is insisting on 9.5 per cent
salary adjustment for officers on grade levels 07-14 and five per
cent for those on grade levels 15-17.

The workers expressed concern that rather than presenting the
two positions to technical sub-committee as agreed, the government
side introduced a strange clause to the discussion.

The workers insisted that the terms of reference of the
committee was to work out the consequential adjustment of salaries
of public servants based on the subhead provided for salaries in
the 2019 budget.

They added that efforts by the trade union side to persuade the
government to return to the right track of negotiation and agree on
a realistic percentage increase proved abortive.

“Thus, the government side deliberately created a stalemate and
thereafter adjoined the meeting of the Technical Committee sine
die.”

According to a communiqué issued at the end of the meeting, the
workers said the downward review by labour was due to a promise by
government to undertake a general salary review in no distant
time.

In the communique, which was jointly signed by the acting
Chairman and Secretary, Anchaver Simon and Alade Bashir Lawal, the
labour said its demand was very much reductive, bearing in mind
that the new salary adjustment approved for some agencies of
government indicates salary GL 01 step 1 officer will be going home
with about N150,000 monthly.

“The Trade Union Side of JNPSNC has now resolved that the
federal government should reconvene the meeting of the Technical
Committee on Consequential Adjustment immediately so that it can
conclude its deliberations and ensure that all public service
employees benefit adequately from the N30,000 new monthly National
Mihimum Wage signed into law by Mr. President since April,
2019.

“That it has commenced mobilisation and sensitisation of public
service employees in the entire 36 states of the federation,
including the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, to prepare them for
total trade union actions in the event that negotiation on the
consequential adjustment arising from the N30,000 monthly new
National Minimum Wage completely breaks down.”

In a related development, the Senate yesterday appealed to both
the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) and
the Non-Academic Staff Union of Universities (NASU) not to embark
on their planned nationwide strike in the interest of Nigeria’s
educational sector.

It has, therefore, promised to wade into the grievances of the
two unions against their sister union, Academic Staff Union of
Nigerian Universities (ASUU) and the federal government.

The upper legislative chamber took the decision following a
point of order raised by Senator Barau Jibrin (Kano North), who
drew the attention of his colleagues to the looming strike by the
labour unions

The Senate thereafter resolved to engage SSASU and NASU with a
view to amicably resolving their differences over alleged neglect
and bringing them into clarification of all contending issues
related to their counterparts.

In his lead debate, Senator Jibrin said: “it is saddening that
the Senior Staff Association of Nigeria Universities (SSANU) and
Non-academic Staff Union of Nigeria Universities have given notice
of commencing an industrial action over a number of issues, which
if not addressed and resolved, will truncate the smooth running of
Nigeria universities in the country.”

According to him, the issues raised by the two unions were
matters of concern with the relationship of the two unions with
ASUU and the alleged refusal by the federal government to heed to
their request since 2006.

He, however, observed that the grievances of the two bodies also
included the delay in the payment of the gratuity and pension of
their members and refusal to attend to other agreements earlier
reached with the government.

Jibrin noted that the allegation of the two unions that ASUU was
being accorded preferential treatment by the federal government
should be looked into, adding that out of the funds released, 80
per cent was earmarked as academic allowances while only 20 per
cent is allocated to non-academic staff.

He regretted that rather than accept what they were given by the
federal government, SSANU and NASU were making fresh demands of the
release of N20billion to non-teaching staff and allowance for 2009
to 2016.

Other senators who contributed to the debate, supported the
motion that the Senate and other relevant government agencies
should quickly step into the matter and avert the impending strike,
warning that any industrial action from these bodies would
negatively affect learning and the entire economy.

Senate President, Dr. Ahmad Lawan, in his comments, commended
Jibrin for bringing up the matter, assuring that the Senate will
definitely intervene to stop the strike.

Also yesterday, the Senate kicked against the influx of Quacks
in the survey profession and promised to assist in the eliminating
fake surveyors in the country.

Senate President, Lawan, who spoke while receiving a delegation
of Surveyors Registration Council of Nigeria (SURCON), said the
ninth Senate would help ensure the elimination of quacks in the
surveying profession.

“We have to regulate the practice of surveying, we must ensure
that quacks are thrown out of this profession and tackle the issue
of shortage in the numbers of surveyors in Nigeria. The result of
this shortage is poor mapping and its attendant consequences of
boundary conflicts, insecurity and stunted economic derivation from
land.

According to him, the Senate would provide legislative support
in repositioning the profession, adding that allowing quacks to
dominate the profession could plung communities into crises with
one another.

“The Senate will make huge difference in this regard, and we
call on you all to be part of this improvement.

“Your request for the amendment of the Surveyor Council of
Nigeria Act by provision of its establishment Act, Cap S.18 LFN
2004 (Decree no. 44 of 1989 is a welcome idea. You can submit the
Bill for the amendment and I guarantee you, it will receive speedy
consideration.

“Review of this Act is very important particularly at this
period of our history. The Senate will do all within its powers to
make sure professionalism is not compromised here,” Lawan
stressed.

Earlier in his remarks, the leader of the delegation, Femi
Kasim, decried the shortage of surveyors in the country, saying
from 1960 to date, Nigeria has only 3999 registered surveyors.

According to him, “ideally every kilometer square of land needs
a surveyor, but for Nigeria it is one surveyor for more than every
231 kilometer and one surveyor for every 50,000 Nigerians”.

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