NASS Workers Cut Off Water Supply Amidst Nationwide Strike

Workers from NASS stop the Assembly complex's water supply due to a statewide strike

Members of the Legislative Staff Association of Nigeria (PASAN) have stopped providing water to the National Assembly (NASS) in observance of the ongoing indefinite strike that was started by organized labour.

The National Assembly, or NASS, buildings housing the Senate and the House of Representatives, as well as other facilities, were momentarily without power and water due to an association that falls under the purview of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC).

The NLC and TUC had already established a deadline of May 31 for the increased minimum wage to go into effect.

A meeting between the Federal Government and organized labor broke down on Tuesday, May 28, after the government and organized private sector raised their offer to N60,000. Labor rejected the plan even though the government increased its initial offer of N57,000 to N60,000 by an additional N3,000.

Labour responded by lowering their demand from N497,000 to N494,000, a decrease of N3,000.

A follow-up meeting on Friday, May 31, ended without any resolution since the administration stuck to its N60,000 offer.

As a result, as announced by its President Joe Ajaero, the NLC began an indefinite statewide strike on Monday, June 2.

Ajaero lambasted the government for its perceived nonchalance and apparent disregard for the welfare of Nigerian workers and citizens, citing a lack of sincerity in the negotiation process.

He emphasized that all of the ministers and governors were not there, with the exception of the Minister of State for Labour and Employment, who was powerless to bind the government to any decision, making the meeting pointless.

This, according to the president of the NLC, is deplorable and shows how uninterested the government is in having fruitful negotiations for a national minimum wage.