PENGASSAN kicks against no-work, no-pay order
The Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) has decried plans by the federal government to enforce the no-work, no-pay clause.
Speaking in an interview, Francis Olabode Johnson, the National President of PENGASSAN said no union worth its salt would instigate workers to go on strike without following the laid down procedures.
“No union will just wake up and say we are shutting down. If a union is giving you 21 days, I believe that to avoid a situation of no work, no pay, you should nip it in the bud. You don’t wait till the expiration of those 21 days. Even after those 21 days, we still give 14 days’ notice to see whether there is seriousness in addressing the issues. In most cases, they ignore it, only to start running from one place to the other later and now wants to invoke the law of no work, no pay,” he said.
The PENGASSAN boss, who said the union won’t support the no work, no pay policy, maintained that the federal government needs to be advised against taking any such rash decision.
Waxing philosophical, Olabode said: “If you have a child who is sick, are you going to wait till that child has a relapse of have issues that will cost you more harm? As a parent, you try to nip that in the bud by giving him medical attention. When unions are pushed to the wall, they fight back and that is why we go on strike.”
While reiterating that the union will not support the issue of no work, no pay under any circumstances, the labour leader said, “No union worth its salt will just wake up and shut down without following the lay down procedures. That is not possible. Except that union has given you 21 days, follow it up with another 14 days and yet another 7 days. In 2014, we gave government 21 days, followed by another 14 days and another 7 days. After the expiration of that, we still waited for about four days before we went on strike. Those are the issues.”
While commenting on the vexatious agitation for minimum wage, the labour leader said it is disheartening to note that most elected public officials are living in luxury but would readily deny workers their dues.
Short of blaming the lawmakers for their insensitivity, a visibly angry Olabode was unsparing of in his criticism: “Senators buy cars and accessories running into several millions but workers go home with pittance.”
Raising some posers, he queried: “How much is the minimum wage? That is why the unity of labour is also important because I have seen different figures being paraded by labour leaders. If we don’t unite, we may lose this opportunity to make sure that Nigerians get a well deserved living wage because N18,000 is nothing. You find out that some states are not even paying that N18,000 despite the Paris Club refund. That is why I said the NLC, TUC and all of us team up. In a situation where states owe salaries running into months is ungodly.”
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