Strike: NAICOM runs to Labour Minister for help

The National Insurance Commission (NAICOM) has sought the intervention of the Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige, in the labour unrest in the commission.

In a letter entitled: Industrial Action by the NAICOM branch of the Amalgamated Union of Public Corporations, Civil Service Technical and Recreational Services Employees (AUPCTRE): Declaration of Trade Dispute, signed by the Director, Admin and Human Resources, Adamu Balanti, which was also copied the Minister of Finance, Mrs Kemi Adeosun, the commission told the Minister to immediate take steps to facilitate and intervene to stop the action by the union in the interest of peace and progress of the organisation and the nation at large.

The letter obtained by our reporter reads: “We write to formally complain on the industrial action embarked upon this morning by the staff of the commission under the auspices of the Amalgamated Union of Public Corporations, Civil Service Technical and Recreational Services Employees (AUPCTRE).

“We were surprised that the union embarked on the industrial action by locking up the office premises and sitting outside the gate with placards chanting songs. The striking staff shutdown the system through switching off the internet, intercom and power services. Presently, the employees are still outside the premises and we have word that some of them have proceeded to other sensitive places to continue the action.

“This industrial action has been embarked upon without notice to management and without recourse to laid down dispute resolution procedure. The management is not aware of the cause of the dispute that led to the cause of the dispute that led to the action taken by the union.

“Kindly recall that management had earlier written to you regarding the interpretation of the jurisdiction scope of the AUPCTRE as currently constituted in our organisation. We would want to fully implement the contents of the earlier letter from the Registrar of the Trade Unions on the jurisdictional scope of AUPCTRE.

“Kindly take immediate steps to facilitate the foregoing and also intervene to stop this action by the union in the interest of peace and progress of our organisation and nation at large.”

NEWSVERGE reports that some staff staged a protest at the commission’s office in Abuja over relocation of the office of Inspectorate from Abuja to Lagos.