N’Assembly moves to avert workers’ strike, inaugurates panel

THE Parliamentary Staff Association of Nigeria may have to reconsider its resolve to embark on a nationwide strike starting from tomorrow, March 22, 2021 as the clerk to the National Assembly, Olatunde Ojo has constituted a nine-man committee to look into association’s grievances.

PASAN had threatened that legislative arm of government across the country would be shutdown thereby crippling the law making businesses and oversight functions by lawmakers.

But the CNA advised the association against such move, urging it to embrace pragmatic approach to the issue at stake.

The decision of the clerk was contained in a statement issued today by his Special Adviser on Media and Labour Matters, Austen Adesoro.

According to the statement the move was made in order to avert the proposed strike by the workers.

The statement said the committee would fashion out modalities for the implementation of national minimum wage and other demands of the parliamentary staff.

While inaugurating the panel Ojo said that the management would continue to make staff’s condition of service and welfare a matter of priority.

He explained that the nine-member panel, chaired by the Secretary, Human Resources and Staff Development, Elder Felix Orunwese, was set up in order to attend to issues of welfare raised by the staff.

Reeling out his achievements since he assumed duty, Ojo said he had on his own volition and without threats, paid three separate allowances to staff, namely: leave bonus, legislative duty allowance and end of the year bonus.

He added that the management also ensured the prompt release of its promotion list.

Ojo added that the National Assembly management has concluded plans to provide staff buses to ease staff transportation, especially in the face of the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The CNA said, “You will agree with me that this historic meeting is actually called to demonstrate our commitment and passionate desire to make your Condition of Service, a continuous priority.

“I want to say it loud and clear that we shall never rest on our desire to make all staff of the National Assembly very important always, because of the high value management places on you.

“This proactive dimension we have tailored out informed the Inauguration of the Committee on the Implementation of the Condition of Service which shall continuously be used within the National Assembly under our watch.”