The National Union of Railway Workers (NUR) has petitioned the national assembly against the failure of the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC’s) to implement the federal government’s subsisting policy on monetization of fringe benefits of public servants and political office holders which was introduced in June 2003 and took effect on July 1, 2005.
In a letter addressed the senate president, Dr. Bukola Saraki and the speaker, House of Representatives, Mr. Yakubu Dogara and signed by dated October 14, 2016 and signed by the secretary general of NUR, Mr. Segun Esan and the NRC branch secretary of NUR, Mr. Romanus Emezie said the management of NRC was yet to implement the monetization of staff quarters from 2005 effective date.
“The management of the NRC lost the political will to implement the aspect of staff quarter monetization but gladly and hurriedly implemented the monetization of furniture allowance, leave grants, meal subsidy, motor vehicle loans, and indeed the aspect of consolidated salary structure which, in conformity with the monetization policy, was to be the last level of implementation of the policy,” said the union.
The union said it took the matter to the National Industrial Court of Nigeria (NICN) in 2011 and won the case.
“The monetization of staff quarters was left un-implemented by the management of Nigerian Railway Corporation from 2005 effective date until we went to the National Industrial Court of Nigeria (NICN) in 2011 to challenge the injustice.
“The case was adjudicated over for five years and on Wednesday, 6th January, 2016 the Nigerian Railway workers were vindicated: the case ended in favour of the Union and its members,” it stated.
But NUR regretted that the NRC was yet to obey the court’s ruling.
“We are, however, held in thrall that, almost a year after the case has been decided, the management of NRC could not implement the policy as concerned the staff quarters.”
It therefore appealed, on behalf of the NRC staff “to the lawmakers to direct the NRC management “to be honourable enough to honour the verdict of the competent trial court on this matter.”
“What encourages us to turn to your Excellency as our last resort is your towering and impeccable integrity and character as a leader that has zero tolerance for corruption and injustice more so that this policy has been implemented in other government office…,” said NUR
