Delta State House of Assembly workers, under the aegis of Parliamentary Staff Association of Nigeria (PASAN), yesterday, embarked on an indefinite strike action over non-payment of approved salaries, non-funding of clinics, and other sundry issues.
The striking workers shut down activities of the House, locked out the Speaker and other lawmakers, preventing them from gaining access to the Assembly Complex for legislative business.
The workers expressed disappointment that to date, payment for the Consolidated Legislative Salary Structure (CONLESS), about three years after, has not been approved, and casual staff members have not been regularised, as well as training of staff and other entitlements.
After an enlarged meeting on Tuesday, the workers expressed displeasure over what they called “delay tactics and ploy” to deprive them of their entitlements, saying that it was a sign that the leadership of the Assembly and government lack the political will to do the needful.
A communiqué issue at the end of the meeting, they recalled that at a time, the Congress had suspended its earlier strike action scheduled for February 28 this year, but for the intervention of the Conference of Speakers and the Nigerian Governors’ Forum (NGF) to allow for full implementation of financial autonomy/payment of CONLESS, as well as the establishment of the House of Assembly Service Commission in states that have not passed the law and other issues that affect the legislature.
It reads: “The two weeks appeal given to us by the Speaker to allow the committee set up by the Governor of Delta State, Sheriff Oborevwori, to work out modalities of payment of CONLESS to staff have since elapsed without any substantial progress.
“Congress frowns that after the said committee has been given more than two months to fulfil its mandate of payment of CONLESS, it is yet to come up with a decision. Congress views these delay tactics as a ploy to deprive staff of their entitlements and a sign that they lack the political will to pay.
“Congress also expresses its displeasure that the other issues raised at the meeting of March 28, 2024, bothering on training, funding of the DTHA clinic, regularisation of casual staff, among others, are yet to be addressed or given attention after two months.”
