The strike which commenced Wednesday 12am, followed the locking of the Assembly entrance gate and that of the Speaker to prevent anyone entering for official business.
The Delta State House of Assembly staff under the umbrella of Parliamentary Staff Association of Nigeria, (PASAN), have embarked on indefinite strike over the non-funding of the Assembly clinic, and other sundry issues.
BELLNEWS learnt that other causes of the strike included, refusal to approve and payment of the Staff Consolidated Legislative Salary Structure (CONLESS) which has been on since almost three years now as well as refusal to regularise casual staff, training of staff and other entitlements.
The strike which commenced Wednesday 12am, followed the locking of the Assembly entrance gate and that of the Speaker to prevent anyone entering for official business.
In a communique after the meeting of the association held Tuesday at the Assembly complex, the workers expressed displeasure over the delay to pay all that is due them, describing it as a “delay tactics and ploy” to deprive staff their entitlements and as a sign that the leadership of the Assembly and government lack the political will to pay them.
The communique was addressed to the speaker of the house of Assembly, Emomotimi Guwor, signed by the state chairman of PASAN, Emmanuel Edozie and secretary, Emmanuel Osubor, and copied all directors, national presidents of PASAN, commissioner of police, Delta state, Director, DSS and chairman, NLC, Delta State among others.
The document recalled that Congress suspended its earlier strike scheduled for 28, February, 2024 following intervention of Conference of speakers and the Nigerian governors’ forum to allow for full implementation of financial autonomy/payment of CONLESS and establishment of the house of Assembly service commission in states that have not passed the law and other issues that affect the legislature.
According to the communique “The two weeks appeal given to us by the speaker to allow committee set up by His Excellency, the governor of Delta state, Rt.Hon. 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 work to fulfill it’s 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 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.
“Congress have exercised enough patience, restraint given in the face of the harsh economic downturn, understanding with the speaker and the committee set up by His Excellency the executive governor of Delta state and our patience have run thin. Arising from the above, Congress do now resolve to resume the suspended industrial action effective 12:00am Wednesday, 29, May, 2024 indefinitely. Congress resolves that the resume strike action will only be resuspended in the event that approval and subsequent payment of CONLESS to staff and other issues enumerated above are addressed.”