The Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions (NASU) has bemoaned the absence of palliatives more than two months after the federal government announced the removal of petrol subsidy.
Lamenting the situation at the quadrennial conference/election of NASU FCT council in Abuja, Michael Adebola, said the continious upward adjustment in the pump prices of petrol which rose from the initial N540 to over N617 per litre was getting unbearable.
Adebola, who was the chair of the Council said: “We are not oblivious to the cries of our members in the FCT Council on the high cost of transportation with a resultant effect on the cost of living. We demand that the government of the day work on policies that can alleviate the suffering of the masses through well-packaged palliatives and improved salary structure, and our refineries should be refurbished and be put under good use.”
While decrying the ineffectiveness of the introduction of the Integrated Personnel Payroll Information System (IPPIS) as a salary payment system, Adebola noted that the payment platform has brought inconsistency, ineffectiveness and tears to workers and unions in tertiary institutions.
He added: “The IPPIS which would have been a good system for union dues remittance but its ineffective and full of fraudulent activities. There are lots of irregularities and short payments of union dues. A lot of branches in the FCT Council are facing pending and unresolved issues with the IPPIS despite all the efforts to ensure corrections. We, therefore, appeal to the government to scrap IPPIS and replace it with a better system of unified payment. A lot of our members’ dues deductions are going to other unions’ accounts due to the mistakes of IPPIS.”
Meanwhile, the National President of NASU, Hassan Makolo, who lauded the giant stride the out-gone exco recorded, cautioned state governments against reducing the number of work days.
He argued that the International Labour Organisation (ILO) prescribes five work days in a week and eight hours per day of work, saying any practice that is contrary to the specifications of the ILO is likely going to affect national productivity adversely.
“All we know is that workers are expected to work for five days a week and eight hours per day. That ought to be maintained. Now if we reduce the number of workdays, that is going to affect productivity negatively,” he noted.
While faulting working from home, he pointed out that there is no infrastructure to make that happen now, especially with low broadband penetration and epileptic power supply.
The NASU chief also cautioned labour unions against accepting a reduction of days of work in a week, saying accepting the practice could lead to job loss soon.
He said: “If the number of work days is reduced, it means that government could reduce the workforce by half. This is because if tasks that are executed in five days can be done in three days, it will mean that half of the workforce can do the job. So, the workers could become endangered species.”
He urged the Federal Government to introduce palliatives that will ensure cheaper means of transportation to and from work rather than contemplate a reduction in the number of work days.
He added: “All we expect is for government to provide palliatives that will make meaning to the people. Why can’t the government get buses that can take workers to their workplaces free of any charge to and fro? So, the manpower that will be lost staying at home can translate that into productivity.”
He also rejected an additional N10,000 to workers’ salaries which some state governments have begun to implement, saying, “what does N10,000 do to help workers in the present circumstances? I don’t like discussing states because the majority of the state governments are not even implementing N30,000 minimum wage as a national law. Some of them pay in percentages and not that they will offset the balance at a later date. They are owing the workers in perpetuity.”
The Director General of the Raw Materials Research and Development Council (RMRDC), Prof Hussaini Ibrahim urged labour leaders to stand on the cusp of a remarkable juncture where collaboration and dialogue hold the potential to shape the positive trajectory of industrial relations.
He stressed that the Council is collaborating with labour unions to execute the regular promotion of staff, welfare packages, local and international training for staff of all cadres, provision of good work environments that include the availability of event centre, gym, auditorium, crèche and staff in-house clinic.
At the end of the delegates’ conference, Hassan Gorroh was elected FCT council while Bola Ajayi was returned secretary.
Zakari Tso was elected treasurer and Bosun Olajubu emerged as an executive member of the FCT council.
