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The Nigeria Civil Service Union branch in the Federal Inland Revenue Service has accused the Chairman of the FIRS, Muhammad Nami, of failing to pay the promotion arrears of over 2,000 employees.
The union also stated that it would stage protests at FIRS offices across the country.
The Chairman of the union, Mr Abdulrahman Idris, said this during an interview with The PUNCH on Thursday.
The FIRS had on Monday announced the dissolution of the union, insisting that the union was illegal because it contravened Gazette No. 6, Vol 65, dated February 8, 1978 and a National Industrial Court Judgement dated June 27, 1995.
Reacting, however, Idris described the dissolution as illegal, adding that Nami was only upset because the union was fighting for the rights of the employees and had refused to bend to the will of the management.
He said, “We will challenge the so-called dissolution. The chairman has no power to proscribe any union. The FIRS is a public entity. The chairman told the public that the FIRS had surpassed its target and it is a tradition that at the end of every year, workers are appreciated through the payment of bonuses but he has failed to appreciate the staff.
“Also, we have promotion arrears of 2019 and 2020 and management has refused to say if arrears will be paid or not. We have a 2021 promotion exercise around the corner so there is carryover. The chairman doesn’t embrace career progression. He pays contractors but doesn’t pay staff entitlements.
“There are about 2,000 that should benefit from the promotion arrears of 2019 and 2020. They saw me as a threat because I demanded it and they decided to proscribe the union. Our national body including the Nigeria Labour Congress have taken up the matter.”
The union leader alleged that the FIRS attempted to use the police to arrest him last Friday, but he escaped after a tip-off. He accused the management of threatening his life.
“We have sent directives to all 36 states of the federation that by July 26, we will picket all FIRS offices,” Idris said.
When contacted on the telephone, the spokesman for the FIRS, Abdullahi Ismaila, said he would provide a response later. However, he had yet to do so as of press time.
