The National Assembly workers under the aegis of the Parliamentary Staff Association of Nigeria (PASAN) on Thursday threatened to strike next week to express their dissatisfaction over the non-payment of their minimum wages.
Driving the news
The National Assembly workers claim the National Assembly’s management have failed to implement the Memorandum of Understanding on the condition of service agreed by both parties.
What they are saying
The National President, Mohammed Usman, and Secretary, Comrade Ikechukwu Alaride, PASAN in a statement on Thursday said the management is in “conflict with the functions of the National Assembly Commission, particularly Section 19 (1) of the Act establishing the Commission.”
- “The provisions of this Section expressly provide that the Commission shall among other things, make staff regulations relating generally to the conditions of service, including the power to fix salaries and allowances, of the staff of the National Assembly. Section 6(b) of the same Act also provides that ‘the Commission shall have the power to pay its staff such remuneration as is approved by the National Assembly.”
Why this matter
The implication of this strike is that the activities of the legislative arm of government in Nigeria would be shut down, thereby limiting the Nigerian lawmakers’ business of decision making and oversight functions.