PASAN gives conditions to suspend strike

The ongoing strike by the Parliamentary Staff Association of Nigeria (PASAN) will continue until all the 36 governors and Houses of Assembly speakers accede to the demands of the parliamentary workers and sign Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with PASAN.

Legislative activities in states have been paralysed since the workers downed tools on March 23, 2021.

In its position paper addressed to the Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr. Chris Ngige, the union listed five conditions, which must be implemented before it suspends the strike.

The paper, signed by PASAN Acting National Secretary, Ikechukwu Alaribe, listed the full implementation of financial autonomy for the state legislature and judiciary.

Others include the full compliance with Presidential Executive Order No. 10, 2020 by President Muhammadu Buhari for the implementation of financial autonomy for the federal and states’ judiciary.

According to him, the decision to continue with the strike was reached after the enlarged National Executive Council (NEC) meeting of the union.

The NEC also demanded that all the 36 states must have the Funds Management Committee bill signed into law by the governors and that deductions should be made directly from source to the Houses of Assembly accounts.

He added: “PASAN as a union is in agreement with the recommendations of the Presidential Committee on the Implementation of Financial Autonomy for the State Legislature and State Judiciary.”