The Amalgamated Union of Public Corporations, Civil Service, Technical and Recreational Services Employees (AUPCTRE) at the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) in Abuja is spoiling for an industrial dispute with the management of the commission over what it termed “lingering industrial relations issues” bordering on injustice allegedly meted out to members of staff.
In a notice of industrial action dated December 18, 2020 and signed by Comrade Ibrahim Kiirfi, Chairman of AUPCTRE, CAC Chapter, the union accused the Registrar General of the CAC, Mr. Garba Abubakar of “high-handedness and grave injustice.”
According to the notice exclusively obtained by our correspondent, the union said it had written several letters to the commission’s board Chairman, Hon. Ademola Seriki and the Registrar General to address the “ugly situation,” but that nothing was done to address the “pains of the CAC workers.”
The aggrieved workers listed the issues at stake to include: “self-opinionated restrictions of vacancies on staff promotions against the recommendations of committee on organogram, unjustified barring of certain categories of staff from writing promotion examination against the recommendation of the committee on organogram, stoppage of all welfare proposals, hasty, draconian and unilateral decision-making leadership style, punishment of staff by stopping their salaries even before queries were issued during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic as well as denial of earned 2019 promotion arrears,” among others.
In a resolution reached at the end of the union’s meeting on November 30, 2020, the agitating workers reminded the Registrar General of his pledge to run an “all-inclusive, staff-friendly, equitable and welfare based administration,” when Mr. Abubakar assumed duties at the commission in January 2020.
“The Registrar General has enjoyed such a tremendous support and goodwill as evidently proven by such an unprecedented improvement in the commission’s productivity/revenue under his stewardship,” the union said.
In addressing the foregoing problems, the union urged the management to allow all eligible staff sit for the promotion examination without restrictions or exemptions.
To avert the looming industrial action, the union made the following recommendations:
“As earlier argued by the Board in December, 2019, Management should consider Principal Managers to Assistant Directors to Deputy Directors.
“Staff who were barred from writing earlier examinations should be rightly placed with the actual effective date they ought to have written the examination to ensure that seniority is maintained.
“To pay the 2019 promotion arrears or recognise it as future liability via accrual.
“Setting up modality for the consideration of recommendation on the proposed welfare package as key motivator to the existing effort that produces enhanced revenue.
“Management should be honourable, realistic and true with its promises,” amongst other recommendations.
