The Parliamentary Staff Association PASAN, National Assembly Service Commission NASC, and the National Assembly had concluded arrangements to delay the 2023 budget defence and passage from the usual January – December circle over threat of strike action, and it’s endless demands for allowances.
This was coming according to sources after the National Assembly Service Commission NASC had obliged to the demands for payment of leave allowances , hazard allowances, arrears of minimum wage and peculiar allowances after they embarked on strike in June, 2022, as part of the conditions that ended the industrial action.
Investigations carried out by our tabloid both at the National Assembly and the National Assembly Service Commission NASC revealed that the commission had already requested and tabled for all the demands of the PASAN before the National Salaries, Income and Wages Commission through a correspondence demanding the implementation of minimum wage/ Consequential adjustment in the staff consolidated legislative salary structure, and some allowances approved in the conditions of service for National Assembly Service.
More revelations also confirmed the efforts towards realizing the demands of PASAN was already forwarded to the Presidential Committee on Salaries and Wages, whose duties is to look into and ratify issues relating to salaries and Wages in the service.
It was reliably gathered that the National Assembly leadership proactively intervened for accelerated actions and approval of the proposed allowances, conscious of the threats from the parliamentary union.
These moves and negative development will be against the backdrop of a threat of strike that will not only affect the National Assembly and National Assembly Service Commission, but with multiplier effects on the economy, activities of the Ministries, Departments and Agencies in Nigeria already preparing to defend the proposed 2023 budget..
According to the Labour laws and the trade dispute act, it negates smooth activities, privileges ,rights among others under the legislative houses which fall under section 16, 21 remained unambiguous.
It was rightly observed that any attempt to continue with the proposed strike, may disrupt the activities of the 9th Assembly, create uneasy calm both at the Assembly and the nation at large.
