- Union Suspends Planned Industrial Action as Minister Intervenes
THE Registrar-General, Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC), Mr Garba Abubakar, yesterday stated that the Amalgamated Union of Public Corporations, Civil Service Technical and Recreational Services Employees (AUPCTRE) is no longer recognised by the CAC because it is a junior workers union. Mr Abubakar stated this at a briefing in Abuja, while speaking on the threat by CAC workers to embark on strike following disagreement with the management.
According to Mr Abubakar, AUPCTRE is no longer in existence in the CAC and therefore cannot carry out such an action. He said the National Industrial Court (NIC) had in a decision declared that AUPCTRE is a junior staff union, although he did not state if there are no junior workers in the CAC or if the Commission is above the principle of freedom of association as enshrined in extant labour laws in the country.
He said: “AUPCTRE is no longer recognised as a senior staff union in CAC because of the decision of the National Industrial Court that declares AUPCTRE a junior staff union.
“A copy of the judgment has been made available to us and there is no stay of execution on the judgment. To that effect AUPCTRE stopped existing in CAC. It has been dissolved.
“Staff of the Commission have been advised to join any organised union of senior staff of their choice. All union dues deductions from staff salaries have been stopped.”
Mr Abubakar warned that the CAC management will not tolerate disruption of the Commission’s activities by any group of persons under the guise of strike.
Union suspends strike
Meanwhile, the strike action which was scheduled to commence today, Tuesday, January 12, 2021, has been suspended for two weeks following the intervention of the Permanent Secretary of the supervising Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment, Dr Sani Gwarzo.
It will be recalled that AUPCTRE gave a 21-day strike ultimatum to the CAC in a letter dated December 18, 2020, addressed to CAC’s Registrar-General, threatening to shut down the Commission beginning Tuesday, January 12, 2021.
Among other reasons for the intended industrial action is the allegation that the Garba Abubakar-led CAC has imposed several anti-workers policies since his appointment.
However, AUPCTRE’s leadership, led by Comrade Benjamin Anthony, the union’s President, after a lengthy meeting on Monday with officials of the Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment led by Dr Gwarzo, decided to shift the proposed strike by 14 days hoping that within the period, all the contentious issues may be resolved.
Following the meeting, Gwarzo directed the Registrar-General to maintain status quo and reverse all actions initiated against the CAC branch of the union.
