N’Assembly Staff Rejects Deferred Payment of Outstanding National Minimum Wage, Threaten Chambers Shutdown May 30

Udora Orizu

National Assembly workers under the aegis of Parliamentary Staff Association of Nigeria (PASAN) have rejected the deferred payment of outstanding national minimum wage by National Assembly Service Commission (NASC) to workers from Grade Level 03 to 17.

The workers had during the joint congress held on the 28th March, 2022, expressed grave concern over the prolonged delay in the payment of nine months outstanding minimum wage as well as tent subsidy.

To this end, the workers conceded to the management’s proposal to pay the balance of their minimum wage arrears to all categories of staff on monthly basis within 6 months commencing from April, 2022 and not later than September, 2022.

But according to new report, the timetable for the payment of balance of minimum wage arrears showed that staff on GL 3-14 are to be paid as from May 2022 – December 2022; GL 15 – January 2023; GL 16 – February 2023; GL 17 – March 2023.

After extensive deliberation on the outcome of the meeting, the workers unanimously rejected the proposal, and alleged that the NASC Chairman compromised with the Clerk for the National Assembly (CNA), Amos Ojo.

The aggrieved workers threatened to shut down legislative activities and offices at the expiration of the May 30, 2022 ultimatum.

According to them, “Why will payment of the minimum wage be split in the first place? The management has realised how weak the union and staff are and they are capitalising on that to ride on our collective sensibility. “We take anything they place on table to us and they never agree with us on anything. Will the same management or commission scrap all the Directorates and other positions created by the same condition of service until they get the approval from MSIWC? What business does our condition of service have with MSIWC?

“No one is even talking about leave allowances which is part of approved condition of service that was implemented last year. Leave allowance was paid to staff last year.

“Up till now 2022 leave grant has not been paid. NASS management still needs approval from salaries income and wages commission. This is wicked; who is deceiving who here please? Was the minimum wage arrears not captured in the 2021 budget of NASS? If yes, was the money released to NASS Management?

They stated further, “What about the improved Condition of Service Allowances provision for NASS Staff in the 2021/2022 Budget? Was the money released or not? What does the record from the Federal Ministry of Finance, Budget & National Planning says about releases and cash backing of funds meant for NASS in the last 3 years?

“The EXCO should search for answers to the above questions and bring the results to the Congress so as to determine the next line of action.”