Strike: We are tired of talks and empty promises, say protesting NASS workers

Protesting staff of the National Assembly and National Assembly Service Commission have said they were tired of discussions and conversations on the issue of salary review.

They insisted that all they wanted was credit alerts on their phones. 

The workers under, the auspices of the Parliamentary Staff Association of Nigeria, said they wouldn’t call off the strike or engage in any conversation with the management of the national assembly until they received payment of the arrears of their unpaid salaries and allowances.

The workers, who blocked the gate of the National Assembly complex refused to listen to the Secretary,  Human Resources and Staff Development of the National Assembly, Suraj Oladoyin, who came to address them on behalf of the National Assembly clerk, Amos Ojo. 

Oladoyin tried to persuade the angry protesters about the need to sit at a table and discuss but they replied him with an uproar chanting, ” All we want are credit alerts,  we are tired of talking.”

The chairman of PASSAN,  Sunday Sabiyi, who tried to bring some calm to the situation, said the executives were also tired of the back and forth over the issue. However, it was expedient that they listened to the voice of reasoning. 

Sabiyi said, “We are all in this together and even the management would benefit from it. In fact, when the money is paid, they would get more money than us.

“You cannot be more tired than the executives of the association. We have been on this issue for over three years. And this time, our request must be granted but we have to listen to them and have a dialogue.

“There must be room for negotiations in every agitation, so we would meet with them ( the management of NASS) and hear what they have to say.”

The Punch learnt that the protesters who had arrived at the National Assembly gate at 6 am, are still there as the time of filing this report at 23m, therefore crippling all activities at the national assembly. 

It was observed that no member of staff was allowed into the building and those who were not aware or interested in the planned protest, were turned back at the gate. 

It was gathered that the water and the electricity at the NASS complex have also been disconnected.