Labour minister warns AUPCTRE, SSASCGOC against crisis in SON

The Minister of Labour and Employment, Senator Chris Ngige, has warned the Amalgamated Union of Public Corporations Civil Service Technical and Recreation Services Employees (AUPCTRE) and the Senior Staff Association of Statutory Corporations and Government Owned Companies (SSASCGOC), not to cause crisis at the Standard Organisation of Nigeria (SON).

Against this background, the minister, through the office of the Registrar of Trade Unions, has written the management of SON, to explain the classification of membership of AUPCTRE and SSACGOC.

Both unions have been at loggerheads over the unionisation of SON’s member of staff; thus causing crisis in the organisation.

Disturbed by the crisis which the issue of union affiliation and jurisdiction of the workers is causing in the organisation, the management of SON had written the ministry to seek for clarification, based on the extant Labour Law.

However, in  a letter dated June 27, 2018, and addressed to the Director-General of SON, the ministry said the jurisdiction scope of SSASCGOC,  as provided in the union’s  constitution approved by the Registrar of Trade Unions is to organise the senior staff in SON,  and has the rights to do so.

The letter signed by Uyi. A.  Osagie, for the Registrar of Trade Unions read “Any senior staff of Federal and state statutory corporations and government owned companies other than those engaged in activities which are strictly commercial shall become a member of the association (SSASCGOC).”

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On the other hand, the letter stated that the jurisdiction scope of AUPCTRE as provided in the Third Schedule Part B of the Trade Unions Acts Cap.  T14 (LPN) 2004 provides that all junior staff shall belong to AUPCTRE.

“All junior staff employed in the Federal and state corporations,  civil service employees classified as technical,  workers of sports commissions and stadia,  public recreation clubs by whatever name called,  swimming pools,  amusement centres,  including carnivals,  circuses,  zoological garden and services similarly classified,  excluding radio,  television,  NITEL,  NIPOST,  railways, airways and other corporation workers already unionised shall become members of AUPCTRE.

The letter added “In view of the above, it becomes evidently clear that while both unions can legitimately organise workers in SON, there are clear lines of demarcation as to which union can unionise the senior and junior cadre of staff in the organisation.”

Reacting to the development, the Secretary General of SSACGOC, Comrade Ayo Olorunfemi, said the Registrar of Trade Union has officially communicated the Jurisdictional scopes both SASCGOC and AUPCTRE as enshrined in the Trade Union Act as amended.

“By the law, whilst SSASCGOC has jurisdiction to unionise senior staff the AUPCTRE has jurisdiction to unionise junior staff,” he said.

However, he regretted that AUPCTRE is threatening to picket the organization with the assistance of the Nigeria Labour Congress ( NLC).

Comrade Olorunfemi said such picketing of the organisation for implementing the provision of the Trade Union Act; would be illegal if carried out.

He pointed out that the issue was very simple, and the Registrar of Trade Unions has communicated to them what the law says, adding that a court of law cannot even overturn the position of the law.

When our correspondent called the General Secretary of AUPCTRE, Comrade Sikiru Waheed, said he could not talk at that time and would call back.

However, all efforts to contact him again were not successful.