Aggrieved Workers Picket NSITF Headquarters in Abuja

•Ask management to implement agreements

Onyebuchi Ezigbo in Abuja

Aggrieved workers of the Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF) yesterday, began work to rule action and the picketing of the headquarters of the Fund in Abuja.

Also members of staff outside the Federal Capital Teritory (FCT) were directed by their union to ensure that they are not active at work and to ensure full compliance with the directive from the leadership.

As early as 8.30 am yesterday, the protesting staff operating under the umbrella of the National Union of Banks, Insurance and Financial Institutions Employees (NUBIFIE), stormed the entrance to the office chanting solidarity songs and dancing to music from a sound system mounted in front of the gate.

The action of the workers affected normal operations at the headquarters of the NSITF as members of the public and those who came for transactions at the NSITF were stranded.

The union had earlier petitioned the Head of Service of the Federation accusing the management of the Fund of breach of agreements and violation of rules in carrying out recruitment and demotion of staff.

As a follow up to the petition, the workers had threatened to hold rally on Monday, at the premises of the NSITF in Abuja.

Also, staff of NSITF had earlier staged similar protests at the Fund’s offices across the country.

Addressing the staff who gathered in front of the NSITF entrance gate of the organisation in Abuja, the Second Vice President of NUBIFIE, Obi Success, said the union was worried by the continued violation of the rights of the workers by NSITF management.

He said: “The national leadership of NUBIFIE is in solidarity with you and we want you to know that we will continue to fight for your right. The management of NSITF has taken us for a ride for too long and as such we are saying that as negotiations are going we will continue the picketing.

“There is no going back until the right thing is done. We say to demotion of our members, we insist that the revised salary structure must be implemented and we are also saying that all deductions that are not known to any accounting principles and without any justification should be stopped.”

Obi said mental health of the staff of the organisation was being affected by the unjustifiable actions of the NSITF management, adding that what they have did amounted to unfair labour practices.

“What we are saying if that we are going to continue to engage all appropriate authorities on the issues until the right thing is done.

“We are not issuing any threat and we are not saying that we are going burn down NSITF office, we are law abiding citizens but we are saying that if the NSITF management did not do the right thing, we are going mobilize our other affiliates for a proper strike.”

‘We want to use this opportunity to call on the President to kindly intervene to put an end to all corrupt practices going on at NSITF so that our people can breathe. They have families to take care of,” he said.

Also the president of ASSIBIFI – NSITF Unit, Ibrahim Tijani, said his leadership was earlier invited for a meeting by the Management on Friday, at the board room in the headquarters but that the issues could not be resolved by both parties, as most of their grievances raised were not addressed.

The union is demanding, ” that all statutory deductions, tax, pension and National Housing Fund estimated to be in billions of naira should be immediately remitted to the appropriate authorities and deserving beneficiaries.”

Earlier, the staff under the auspices of the Association of Senior Staff of Banks, Insurance and Financial Institutions Employees (NSITF- Domestic branch) had asked the Head of Service to investigate all the allegations levelled against the management of the Fund.

In the petition jointly signed by the president of the association, Baba Tijani, General Secretary, Abdulkadir and Chairman of NUBIFE, (NSITF – branch), Opeoluwa Ogunfowore, the union urged the Head of Service to order an investigation into the issues and allegations raised in the petition.

“We write to bring to your attention a serious violation of the public service rules of Nigeria committed by management of the NSITF. This violation pertains to the unjust demotion of staff with three years of service  – a sharp contrast to Public Service rules as well as the failure to remit deducted pension and National Housing Fund contributions of employees,” they said.