UPDATED: NASS protest: No alert, no sitting, workers shout

NASS: Protesting workers bar senators, Reps from sitting

The protesting workers of the National Assembly have barred senators and members of the House of Representatives from sitting at plenary.

The protesters, who besieged the entrances to the two chambers in their hundreds, have turned back every lawmaker that turned up for plenary.

While senators were expected to commence their plenary at about 10:30.am, Reps were to start theirs at 11.am.

However, up to about 12:40.pm, no lawmaker was able to have access to the National Assembly lobby let alone either of the chambers.

The protesters said until they got alerts for their various allowances and salary arrears being owed, the lawmakers would not sit through out this week.

EARLIER…

Workers at the National Assembly have staged a protest at the premises of the federal legislature to press home their demands.

The workers, under the Parliamentary Staff Association of Nigeria (PASAN) in their hundreds, have gathered at the lobby of the National Assembly demanding the management to address some of their grievances.

They carried placards with various inscriptions.

They also threaten to scuttle the plenary sessions of both the Senate and the House of Representatives.

Members of the association had last week during their congress resolved to picket the premises of the federal legislature from today to Thursday on issues bordering on Consolidated Legislative Salary Structure (CONLESS).

They also said both Senate President Bukola Saraki and Speaker Yakubu Dogara, in line with their statutory mandate, should take urgent steps to nominate members of the National Assembly Service Commission (NASC).

They said all pending staff promotions and conversion letters should be released with arrears due fully paid, while the 2018 promotion eligibility list be released and promotion exams conducted on or before December 31 this year.

“After due deliberations on the above crucial issues, congress resolved that in view of management’s apparent continued disregard and unwillingness to address all the above listed issues, the union ‎in compliance with the laws of industrial dispute is hereby demanding the full implementation of the above listed grievances by management within the next two weeks from today.

“Failure to implement the above resolutions on the deadline, which is 13 December, 2018, the union will have no option than to embark on an indefinite strike action from the 14th December, 2018,” PASAN said.