Union Decries FG’s Labour Policies

The Leadership of the Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria (ASCSN), has decried the anti-labour policies of the Federal Government towards the workers in Federal Government Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs).
In a statement issued on Wednesday from the Union’s National Secretariat, a copy of which was obtained by The Tide and signed by the Union’s National Secretary-General, Comrade Alade Bashir Lawal, the association said that, it is alarmed by the increasing anti-labour policies of the government.
Lawal pointed out that, the Federal Government has bluntly refused to honour  and implement workers promotion stressing that, the union’s leadership has concluded mobilisation of its members to shut the activities of the MDAs unless the Federal Government takes immediate step to effect the implementation of the payment of the workers’ promotion allowances and other outstanding salary arrears.
He alleged that, the Federal Government has continued to dilly-dally on the payment of the promotion allowance and salary arrears owed the public servants even though a presidential committee had verified the authenticity of such outstanding arrears and submitted its report to the presidency.
The union’s scribe emphasized that, the issue of unpaid entitlements of workers have remained unattended for some years now despite the directive of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation directing all MDAs to compile the total sum involved in respect of the unpaid entitlements to the workers.
He listed the various categories of debts owed Federal Public Officers by the Federal Government to include promotion arrears outstanding since 2007, first 28 days in lieu of hotel accommodation of newly transferred public officers, Duty Tour Allowance (DTA) and mandatory training allowance.
Others are burial expenses and repatriation allowances.
The labour leader said that the union strongly demanded that the Federal Government should, without further delay, commence the process of paying those debts with the funds provided for under the virement arrangement to the affected workers to reassure the workers and Nigerians, that the Federal Government’s policies are not at logger heads with the welfare and well being of the workers.
The Union’s scribe added that the union took to making the suffering of the workers, anti-labour policies of the government and debts owed the public servants open to avoid criticism by Nigerians. As the union would soon embark on series of industrial actions, if no concrete steps are taken to commence the payments of the outstanding promotion and salary arrears.

Philip Okparaji