Crisis looms in NIMC as workers declare trade dispute •SSASCGOC writes minister, seeks intervention

An imminent crisis is brewing at the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC), as the workers under the auspices of the Senior Staff Association of Statutory Corporations and Government Owned Companies (SSASCGOC), an affiliate of the Trade Union Congress (TUC), has declared a trade dispute.

The workers have insisted that the relative peace being enjoyed in NIMC will be seriously affected as all activities will be disrupted, unless the Minister of Labour  and Employment, Senator Chris Ngige, intervene urgently and the government do the needful.

Already, SSASCGOC has written to the minister to inform him of the declaration of the trade dispute, and warned that a breakdown of law and order is becoming inevitable. The copy of the trade dispute, dated March 16, 2917, was attached to the letter which was sent directly to the minister.

Titled ‘Notification of Trade Dispute by Employer/Worker’s Organisation,’ it read: “In accordance with Section 4 of the Trade Disputes Decree, 1976, I, Comrade Akin Okudero, Asst. General Secretary (Organising) on behalf of the General Secretary, Senior Staff Association of Statutory Corporations and Government Owned Companies (SSASCGOC), hereby give notice that a trade dispute has been declared between the said SSASCGOC and NIMC management.”

The points of dispute, according to the notification include the move by NIMC management to force all SSASCGOC members in the commission into the Association of Senior a Civil Service of Nigeria (ASCSN), against the Labour Act; biased and unfair labour practice as well as refusal to release promotion letters of staff who passed the 2015 promotion examination.

Besides, the reasons for the declaration of trade dispute include the NIMC management refusal to implement the recommendation of the national salaries, income and wages commission on the salary structure of NIMC; alleged placing of officers who falsified records by obtaining fake conversion promotion/appointment letters above other staff who did not participate in the fraud.

Other point of disputes include victimisation of SSASCGOC executive members in NIMC, misuse and abuse of public service rules, while all steps taken to reach agreement, such as various letters written and meetings held were without resolution and to no avail.

The letter, signed by the SSASCGOC President, Comrade Mohammed Yunusa, read: “Under the directive of the Central Working Committee of SSASCGOC, we write to reject the recent decision of the NIMC management and consequently declare a trade dispute with regards to membership of trade union in the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC).

“This has become imperative in view of the management biased and unfair Labour practice as contained in the NIMC memo dated Wednesday, March 15, 2017. We therefore call for an urgent intervention of the minister to enable us calm the frayed nerves of our members and avoid a breakdown of law and order which is becoming inevitable due to strong biase disposition of the management of the commission against the wishes of the employees of the organisation.

“Please find the attached trade dispute document and the recent letter of NIMC management to staff for your action. We solicit your prompt intervention.”

The General Secretary of SSASCGOC, Comrade Ayo Olorunfemi, who spoke with Nigerian Tribune, while seeking further clarification said the Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria is only to organize core civil servants, adding however that the staff of NIMC are not civil servants.

Comrade Olorunfemi said: “By virtue of National Industrial Court (NIC) judgement , ASCSN can only unionize civil servants. Also, by virtue of that judgement SSASCGOC can unionize staff of statutory corporations and government owned companies.  What that means is that any corporate government entities that is established by Act of Parliament are statutory corporations and that also include NIMC, which was established by NIMC Act of 2007.”

He expressed surprise that the Ministry of Labour was not doing what it is supposed to do right, adding, “this will be challenged as we will take the matter to those who made the laws, the National Assembly, and not only the court.