Members of the Trade Union Congress of Nigeria, on Tuesday, protested over poor welfare, non-payment of allowance arrears and other emoluments for workers.
During the protest at the Federal Ministry of Finance in Abuja, the aggrieved workers of the Nigerian Nuclear Regulatory Authority, under the aegis of the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria, accused the Minister of Finance, Wale Edun, of withholding their statutory entitlements despite several appeals.
The workers, dressed in red T-shirts and with placards, locked the gate of the ministry, depriving vehicles from going in and out of the premises and forcing workers who came to work to return home.
Speaking with journalists, the Industrial Relations Officer of the authority,
Patrick Solomon, said the management of the ministry was “insensitive” to the workers’ requests.
“We are here to protest the insensitivity to our requests and demands as a union and as members.
“We had certain challenges, and we have used all avenues to resolve the issues, but there were no listening ears. Our IGR in the office have been withheld for nothing less than 15 months.
“It has been very difficult to operate in the office, and that has been very difficult for us. Most importantly, allowances have not been paid. We have been on this issue with the minister for a very long time now, and it’s obvious he is not ready to listen to us,” he said.
