Union seeks reconstitution of NPSJNC for adequate representation of workers.
Union seeks reconstitution of NPSJNC for adequate representation of workers.
Segun Oladipupo
The Senior Staff Association of Statutory Corporations and Government- Owned Companies {SSASCGOC}, Maritime Branch has expressed dissatisfaction over sole representation of Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) by the National Public Service Joint Negotiation Council (NPSJNC) during negotiations of workers’ welfare.
The group said that all parastatals and agencies ought to have individual representatives at the negotiation tables because of the peculiar nature of each agency.
President of SSASCGOC Maritime Branch, Comrade Akinola Bodunde disclosed this in a chat with newsmen recently.
Bodunde called for the review of the constitution of NPSJNC to accommodate other agencies’ representatives noting that unions within Ministries Department and Agencies MDA should be included in negotiations with government.
According to him, the National Joint Industrial Council (NJIC) should be all and encompassing adding that NPSJNC cannot identify most issues affecting workers welfare in all MDAs.
The President further demanded for government reconstitute the body saying that the interests of all agencies are not always represented in its negotiations.
“Senior Staff Association of civil service union cannot fight for our interest and we are demanding for a comprehensive meeting because they cannot stand for the entire labour unions and workers.
“We are not on the same scale, we are not on the same operations therefore that particular committee should be reviewed.
“A representative from every civil service company under their respective parastatals should be involved in the negotiation and not the representative from the committee alone because they are core national ministry body .
“We are demanding that the body should be reconstituted , at least let’s have some parastatals representative in the committee. They cannot stand with the entire labour unions.
“A committee like that should have include more unions to accommodate everybody in the NJIC.
“They are core ministry union they are the national body that represent the union but what we are saying is that a representative of the parastatals should be fully represented.
“The part with government on welfare of worker but it need to be enlarged to include government agencies for effective representation during negotiations on labour related matters,” Bodunde reiterated.
It would be recalled that, the Joint National Public Service Negotiating Council-Trade Union Side (JNPSNC-TUS) is made up of eight Unions representing different professions namely; Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria (ASCSN), Nigeria Civil Service Union (NCSU), Nigeria Union of Public Service Reportorial, among others.
