The ASCSN noted that plans have been concluded to call its members out for an industrial action that will compel government agencies to pay workers’ outstanding salaries from October to December.
Raising the red alert in Abuja on Thursday, the ASCSN Secretary-General, Alade Bashir Lawal, expressed sadness over government’s attitude towards workers in the civil service.
He alleged that the Federal Ministries of Agriculture, Education, Works, Labour and Productivity as well as a host of other ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) have not paid salaries to their workers since October this year.
“As we write, information reaching the union from informed quarters indicate that about 30 ministries, departments and agencies will not pay December 2014 salaries to their employees.”
“It is very unfortunate that since October 2014, the Federal Ministries of Agriculture, Education, Works, Labour and Productivity as well as a host of other MDAs have not paid salaries to their workers,” the unionist said.
The implication, he added, is that thousands of civil servants and their families would celebrate Christmas and New Year without salaries.
The ASCSN said, “We call on the government to use the N9.2 billion earmarked to buy stoves for “rural women” to offset the October and November salaries as well as that of December 2014. We cannot understand how N9.2 billion would be spent on stoves while workers who toil daily to keep the wheels of government functioning cannot be paid their meagre salary,” the union stated.
It recalled that in 2014 over 40 MDAs could not pay December 2013 salaries to their workers and when the union raised the alarm, government officials were quick to deny the development prompting the association to publish the names of the MDAs that were involved in the non-payment of salary saga.
“Based on this sad experience of last year, one would have expected that serious steps would have been taken to ensure that the ugly scenario did not repeat itself. Unfortunately, we are now back to square one. Workers, to say the least, are very sad as they can no longer meet their immediate needs as a result of refusal of government to pay them their salaries,”
Reacting, the government has faulted the ASCSN saying its claim is full of falsehood and distortions about current status of the payment of federal civil servants.
In a statement by Paul C Nwabuikwu, special adviser to the coordinating minister for the economy and minister of finance, the government said “the group is fast earning a reputation as a tool of political groups ready to deploy scurrilous falsehood against the policies and programmes of the Federal Government. It clearly does not represent the interest of the vast majority of hard working and professional civil servants.”
The statement said contrary to the group’s statement, it is absolutely untrue that “government has not been able to pay thousands of civil servants their October and November salaries”.
It said the overwhelming majority of civil servants are getting their salaries regularly.
“The true situation, as stated by the CME during the presentation of the 2015 budget proposal yesterday (Wednesday) is that there was a delay in paying the salaries of some civil servants in some ministries due to a technical glitch which affected the IPPIS system through which payments are made.”
“Delays were also caused by some MDAs using money set aside for salaries to pay allowances without consultation with the Budget Office.”
“As CME has promised, the issues are being resolved and all civil servants will be paid their salaries before the end of December.”
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