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Tag: Strike

  • Strike: NASS workers speak on Buhari’s budget presentation tomorrow

    Strike: NASS workers speak on Buhari’s budget presentation tomorrow

    Staff of the National Assembly will not stop the president, Muhammadu Buhari, from presenting the 2019 budget to federal lawmakers, the chairman of the Parliamentary Staff Association of Nigeria (PASAN), Bature Mohammed, has said.

    Speaking as the police barricaded the National Assembly Tuesday morning, Mr Mohammed said the president is free to present the budget anytime.

    Buhari is billed to present the 2019 budget to a joint session of the National Assembly on Wednesday. The presentation could, however, be hampered by a four-day warning strike, which parliamentary staff began on Monday.

    Recall that the staff, on Monday, blocked the main entrance into the assembly complex preventing usual movement of people and vehicles.

    In reaction to this, the leadership of the National Assembly asked the police and the Department of Security Service (DSS) to secure the assembly for Tuesday’s plenary.

    The lawmakers hold plenaries on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays of the week.

    In carrying out this order, uniformed police officials, on Tuesday, blocked the entrance into the National Assembly, preventing workers, journalists and others from entering.

    Some journalists were later allowed to enter.

    Speaking on the development, Mohammed said the assembly’s leadership has worsened the situation by its latest move.

    “The leadership of the National Assembly are making all issues worse by asking for security to secure the National Assembly against its staff.

    “Just some hours ago, they selected some of our staff against their wish, threatening them to go and work for them. Some of our chamber attendants are there now, working for them against their wish.”

    Despite this, however, the staff will allow Buhari to present the budget anytime he so wishes, Mohammed noted.

    He denied reports that some of the staff cut off power and water supply on Monday, saying they are law abiding in their protest.

    “As far as we are concerned, we do not intend, by any means, to stop the president from presenting his budget. If we can allow cleaners and bankers to go in and discharge their duties, how can we stop Mr President from presenting his budget? But you can see that the action of the presiding officers is sending wrong signals by (locking) the gate. We are not the ones that locked this gate. It’s a very wrong signal and we condemn it in totality.

    “We are law abiding citizens. We’ve been following all rules guided by due process.

    “So, Mr President is free. If he can even come now we’ll guide him to make sure that he presents the budget and comes out freely.”

    He said the association will regroup after the warning strike to decide the next line of actions.

    After the warning strike, we’ll get back to “our people and consult about the next line of action. But I want to assure you that we will not back down until our demands are met,” he said.

     

  • Unpaid allowances: Strike’ll be worse on Tuesday, NASS workers insist

    Unpaid allowances: Strike’ll be worse on Tuesday, NASS workers insist

    Workers under the auspices of the Parliamentary Staff Association of Nigeria (PASAN) began their four-day warning strike on Monday, crippling legislative and business activities at the National Assembly.

    They blocked entrances to the complex and shut power and water supplies to the building.

    The development forced banks, restaurants and other businesses in the building to close shop, with the Automated Teller Machines shutting down due to power failure.

    It was learnt that the National Assembly Service Commission chapter of PASAN also shut down the secretariat on Monday.

    The workers threatened a worse situation on Tuesday when members of the Senate and House of Representatives will reconvene for plenary.

    Several workers, who declined to be named, said legislative activities would be crippled on Tuesday as those who would carry out administrative duties at the chambers would not be available. “No sergeant-at-arms will carry the mace, they will carry it themselves,” one of them was heard saying this.

    The workers had in the early hours of Monday stormed the entrances to the National Assembly Complex and taken charge of the gates. They initially prevented cars from gaining entry but later allowed cars in but forced the occupants to open and close the gates themselves.

    Petty traders made brisk business, especially those selling water and snacks.

    The workers had planned to adopt a sit-at-home approach but changed the plan.

    In a letter of notification sent to the leadership of the National Assembly on Saturday, PASAN stated that all its members would stay at home for four days – from Monday to Thursday.

    The notice read, “Sequel to our earlier notice of strike action as contained in the communique dated 29th November 2018, the Congress of Parliamentary Staff Association of Nigeria, National Assembly chapter, unanimously resolved at its emergency congress held on 14th December, 2018, to embark on a four-day warning strike commencing on Monday, 17th, to 20th December, 2018.

    “By this notice, be kindly informed that the entire members of PASAN shall stay off their respective duties on the above-mentioned dates.”

    It was observed that lawmakers stayed away from from the premises during the protests.

    The Majority Leader of the Senate, Senator Ahmed Lawan, who was accosted by journalists, said the issue would be resolved.

     

  • SSANU commences 3-Day nationwide protest today

    The Senior Staff Association of Nigeria Universities (SSANU) will start a three-day nationwide protest on Monday over the Federal Government disobedience to court judgment on the issue of staff schools and failure of government to implement an agreement reached with the Union especially on Earned Allowance.

    SSANU took the decision to embark on the protest at its 35th regular National Executive Council (NEC), meeting held at the Enugu State University of Science and Technology.

    In a resolution signed by its National President, Comrade Samson Ugwoke and the National Public Relations Officer, Comrade Abdussobur Salaam, SSANU accused the Federal Government of disobeying the judgment of National Industrial Court, Abuja, that asked that teachers in University Staff Schools that were sacked by government should be reinstated.

    The Union also said that the Federal Government has not released the N8 billion Earned Allowance it promised to them.

    Recall that the Minister of Labour and Employment, Senator Chris Ngige had as part of the resolution reached at a conciliation meeting on March 13, 2018, announced that the Federal Government will pay the three non-teaching staff unions N8 billion as their Earned Allowance.

    However, the Union regretted that several months after the agreement was reached, the money was yet to be released.

    According to SSANU, the delay in the payment had become a source of discomfort and agitation by members of the three unions and has also become a source of embarrassment for the leadership.

    The resolution read: “The Federal Government through the Federal Ministry of Education had informed the Chairman of the Joint Action Committee of NAAT, NASU and SSANU via a letter dated 9th August 2018, that approval had been given for the release of Eight Billion Naira being payment of Earned Allowances for Non-teaching Staff in the Universities and requested for templates for the payments to the unions.”

    It added, “it appears that the letters being sent to the unions are a delay ploy by the Federal Ministry of Education as the letters in themselves are needless because the unions had always made their positions known since the irregular disbursement of N23 billion to ASUU in 2017.”

    “Members have been fully mobilised to participate in the protests, while branches are advised to carry along the media and the security agencies accordingly,” it stated.

  • Workers threatens to shut down National Assembly on Monday

    The Parliamentary Staff Association of Nigeria (PASAN), National Assembly chapter, has issued a 4-day warning strike notice to commence on Monday, December 17.

    The Chairman of the association, Mr Bature Mohammed, in a statement in Abuja on Saturday, said this decision was reached in an emergency congress held on December 14.

    President Muhammadu Buhari is due to present the 2019 Appropriation bill to the joint National Assembly on Wednesday, December 19.

    Mohammed said that the warning strike which would run till Dec. 20, was to press home the demands of the association.

    The chairman advised that all members of the association should stay away from their duty posts during the period.

    Members of PASAN had on Dec. 4 shut down operations at the National Assembly when they prevented lawmakers from sitting.

    The grievances of PASAN include a new condition of service for members, promotion and payment of 28 per cent increment in salary captured as contained in the 2018 budget.

  • Buhari’s budget presentation threatened as NASS workers commence warning strike Sunday

    Buhari’s budget presentation threatened as NASS workers commence warning strike Sunday

    Indications emerged on Saturday that the presentation of the 2019 Appropriation Bill by President Muhammadu Buhari is under threat as National Assembly (NASS) workers are set to commence a four-day warning industrial action from tomorrow, Sunday.

    Recall that Buhari had written to the leadership of National Assembly that he would be presenting the 2019 budget proposal to the joint session of the National Assembly at 11am on Wednesday, 19th December, 2018.

    The workers had to be placated last Tuesday by the leadership of the Senate and the House of Representatives to shelve their initial strike action after denying lawmakers access to the chambers while paralyzing all official duties that day.

    On the same day, the Clerk to the National Assembly, Muhammed Sani-Omolori in response to the workers demand, in a statement heaped the blames on the Ministry of Finance that despite being on first line charge, inadequate release of budgetary allocation makes it impossible for the implementation of the new salary regime for the workers, among other demands.

    The workers union, Parliamentary Staff Association of Nigeria (PASAN) however made a U-turn Saturday following the discovery of over N10b in the National Assembly’s Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) accounts.

    The union, according to a source, who pleaded not to be named said it has become obvious that the management had no intention of fulfilling the agreement after a CBN letter dated 21 November, 2018 to the Clerk requesting confirmation to two external auditors, N10,455,891,967,43 in National Assembly’s T24 account number 0020168142065 (Statutory transfer).

    Signed by two CBN Directors, the National Assembly was asked to confirm if the information was in agreement with its records, while asking to provide further information that may assist in reconciling the differences, she added.

    However, in a leter to its members on Friday, the union said after its emergency meeting of 14th December, 2018, it has been decided that a warning strike would commence on Monday, 17th December, 2018.

    “By this notice, be kindly informed that the entire members of PASAN shall stay off their respective duties on the mentioned dates,” the memo stated.

    As at the time of filing this report, phone calls to the National Assembly’s Spokesman, Rawlins Agada and his House of Representatives counterpart, Abdulrazak Namdas over the development proved abortive as their lines were not available.

     

  • Polytechnic lecturers commence nationwide strike today

    The Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP) has said it is embarking on an indefinite nationwide strike on Wednesday (today).

    The ASUP National President, Usman Dutse, confirmed this to our correspondent in an interview on Tuesday, saying the strike would go on because the Federal Government had failed to implement the 2009 and 2017 agreements it reached with the union.

    Dutse said the contentious areas which necessitated the strike included the non-implementation of the NEEDS assessment report of 2014, non-payment of salaries in many state-owned polytechnics, pension deductions and other statutory deductions from staff salaries.

    ASUP held its 93rd National Executive Council meeting at the Yaba College of Technology, Lagos State, on November 29, where it was first decided that the strike would begin on December 12.

    The ASUP president said the union expected a total compliance in all public polytechnics on the strike, beginning from Wednesday.

    Dutse said, “The strike is starting on Wednesday and there is no going back. We expect total compliance in all our polytechnics. December 17 has been fixed for a meeting between the Federal Government’s team and us. The government gave us that date and when we get to the meeting, we will see what is on the table.”

     

  • FG, ASUU reach partial agreement, adjourn meeting again

    The Federal Government and the striking Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) have reached a partial agreement, Dr Chris Ngige, the Minister of Labour and Employment, announced on Monday.

    Ngige made the announcement at a reconciliation meeting in Abuja aimed at finding ways of resolving the strike which commenced on Nov. 5.

    He said: “we have finished our deliberation for today. I am happy to report that we touched some areas of understanding in implementation from the Memorandum of Action which we agreed to in 2017.

    “Some of these areas we have substantial compliance and some other areas have not been fully dealt with.

    “Like the issue of shortfall in salaries of some Federal Universities’ workers and lecturers, ASUU has given a list to the Accountant-General’s Office and we have agreed that by Wednesday that list should be cross-checked by the Presidential Initiative on Continuous Auditing.

    “So, the Accountant-General’s Office is to get back to us by Wednesday.

    “We also have the issue of Earned allowances, revitalisation, these are issues of 2009 agreement and partial implementation and we have agreed on the modus operandi to look into the fund situation, this is due to low revenue on the part of government. ”

    He noted that the meeting had identified one area to look for the fund for the revalidation that the appropriate government organ would be contacted on the issue.

    Ngige said that government was sure to have good information for the striking lecturers.

    He said the same situation applied to other allowances, adding: “we have agreed on what we are going to do to make sure that the outstanding amount is handled in a way that all parties will be properly accommodated.

    ” We also discussed the issue of state universities and agreed also that even if education is on the concurrent list, the universities should be properly funded and staffed so that we do not produce half-baked students from those universities.

    “In realisation of this the Ministry of Education will set up a committee, that would engage the Nigeria Governors’ Forum, and the Minister of Education has taken steps in that direction to formalise the interaction.

    ” Thus discussion are fruitful and we do hope that in the next adjourned date we would have had the requisite result on the few agreements reached today.”

    The minister said he hoped with the agreement reached that the union would call off the strike in order for students to go back to school and those who had exams could go and take their exams.

    He said the next meeting would be at 4p.m. on Dec. 17.

    On his part, Prof. Abiodun Ogunyemi, ASUU National President, said they had a useful discussion.

    “Our own understanding is that we heard promises made on the part of government, we shall await the report on all the issues, which they have made the promises.

    “Only after that, we can get back to our members to take a decision,” he said.

  • Strike: FG, ASUU meeting end in promises

    From Jonas Ike, Abuja

    There is still no end in sight to the one month old strike embarked upon by Academic Staff Union of Universities ASUU as a meeting between the union and Federal Government on Monday night ended without an agreement.

    The meeting which started at about 5.30pm at the Minister’s Conference Hall Ministry of Labour, Employment and Productivity was attended by the Minister Dr. Chris Ngige, President of ASUU Dr. Biodu Ogunyemi and other notable members of the union.

    It was gathered that the striking lecturers refused to agree on the negotiations on the payment of the 2007 anf 2009 agreements entered into with them by the federal government.

    The meeting is the third in the series of meeting held this week by the Ministry and the striking lecturers over the lingering strike action in the nation’s ivory towers.

    Briefing newsmen at the end the meeting, Minister of Labour Dr. Chris Ngige said that the the two parties to the dispute discussed on areas that were outstanding on the memorandum of action agreed upon by them on the lingering matter in 2007.

    He said that there shortfalls and added that the government is working on those shortfalls that would translate ultimately to payment of the striking lecturers.

    He added that a memo has been raised to the accountant-general of the federation to source for funds to that effect adding that the meeting is adjourned to Monday 17th December 2018 for them to get reports on those issues discussed

    He added that a committee is to be set up by the federal government to interface with state governors on the funding of state universities.

    Ogunyemi on his own part said that the the union has no report yet to the striking lecturers on the meeting until the promises made to them at the meeting is fulfilled.
    End.

  • COEASU suspends two-month old strike

    The Colleges of Education Academic Staff Union (COEASU) has suspended its two-month old nationwide strike.

    COEASU National President, Mr. Nuhu Ogirima, said this on Wednesday after its expanded National Executive Council meeting in Abuja.

    According to Ogirima, the union suspended the strike following reassurances by the Federal Government to meet its major demands.

    “The suspension is to enable government implement the agreements,” he said.

    The COEASU president, however, said the union would reconvene in January 2019 to re-assess Federal Government’s commitment to the demands.

    He said that the union would not hesitate to stay away from work again if government reneges on the agreement.

    Ogirima noted that government acknowledged the decay of COE’s and has agreed to implement the ‘NEEDS’ assessment report.

    He also added that the Federal Government, through the Minister of Education, met with the state governors over the non-payment of salaries in states colleges of education.

    He said that government had also agreed to release a White Paper tagged “Dual Mode’’ for partial implementation of degrees awarded by some colleges.

    Ogirima said government also promised to recall sacked members of the Ogun State College of Education.

  • Strike: FG resumes talks with ASUU

    The federal government on Tuesday resumed talks with the leaders of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) over the ongoing strike in public universities which entered a month today.

    The crucial meeting has in attendance the national president of the union, Biodun Ogunyemi, who led the union’s delegation.

    The meeting is taking place at the Federal Ministry of Education in Abuja.

    Also present are the education minister, Adamu Adamu; the permanent secretary, Sunny Echono; representative of National Universities Commission and representative from the National Income, Wages and Salaries Commission.

    Speaking in an interview, the president of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), Danielson Akpan, who was present at the meeting, said the two parties need to consider the interest of the students in their deliberations.

    “My fear is that these politicians can give a ‘political response’ and may not meet the conditions again,” Mr Akpan said.

    The NANS president confirmed that the meeting started a few minutes past 2 p.m.

    Recall hat the union embarked on strike on November 4 over the poor funding ofNigerian universities, an alleged plan by the federal government to increase students’ fees and introduce an education bank, as well as non-implementation of previous agreements.