Legislative business has been paralysed at the Jigawa State House of Assembly following industrial action by the Parliamentary Staff Association of Nigeria (PASAN).
The workers were protesting non-implementation of the Consolidated Legislative Salary Structure (CONLESS).
The Chairman of the association, Abdulkadir Baffa, told journalists on Thursday in Dutse that the action was a continuation of an earlier strike embarked by the union about five months ago.
He said the union relaxed the strike due to its cordial relationship and understanding with the leadership of the assembly.
“However, today we have resumed the action and shut down the assembly complex until our demands are met,” he said.
Mr Baffa said the workers were demanding the full implementation of the CONLESS salary structure approved by the state government.
“A salary table was released, but it came with discrepancies. Some of our allowances initially captured were removed without explanation, so we returned it to the government through the office of the state accountant-Ggeneral for corrections,” he said.
He said that only three out of about 168 affected members of the association were placed on the new salary structure.
He identified the beneficiaries to include the assembly’s accountant, his deputy and the secretary of the Assembly Service Commission.
Mr Baffa said the development amounts to injustice against other members of staff, adding that the delay in the implementation was linked to the office of the state accountant-general.
“We met with the accountant-general several times, but we were only given promises without any concrete action,” he said.
He warned that the delays could undermine legislative activities and government operations.
Also, the National Ex-Officio, North-West zone of PASAN, Nasiru Ginsau, said the association fully supported its members in Jigawa.
Mr Ginsau said the national leadership would continue to engage relevant authorities to ensure an amicable resolution of the dispute.
He stated, “We are supporting them to ensure that their demands are addressed peacefully and without rancour or disruption.”
(NAN)
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