Strike: JUSUN, PASAN walk out on Ngige

The leadership of the Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria (JUSUN) and the Parliamentary Staff Association of Nigeria (PASAN) yesterday walked out of the meeting scheduled to hold with the Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige.

But the minister explained that the meeting was postponed “to enable the Federal Government’s negotiating team to harmonise all issues from the Memorandum of Understanding reached at separate meetings with tiers and arms of government,” on the issue in contention.

Daily Trust reports that the unions’ leadership walked out of the venue of the meeting, the Minister’s Conference room at the Ministry of Labour and Employment to register their anger over the delay of the commencement of the meeting.

The meeting, scheduled for 3pm, did not commence till some few minutes to 5pm, getting the union leaders frustrated.

JUSUN spokesman, Koin Selepreye, told newsmen, that it was wrong for the minister to keep them for so long when the invitation sent to them clearly stated that the meeting was for 3 pm.

Meanwhile, Ngige later told reporters that “There’s no point rushing to do a meeting that’ll be fruitless. The judiciary, the governors forum and even the Presidency are involved in this negotiation because the meeting held yesterday (Monday) was at the Office of the Chief of Staff to the President.

“The arising documents are not yet properly harmonized. It’ll therefore not be fruitful to hold a negotiation where people speak from irreconcilable positions. It won’t help us and it won’t help the unions either.” Ngige said.