Ministry wants SSASCGOC, AUPCTRE membership status clarified

The Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment has written the management of Standard Organisation of Nigeria (SON), to clarify the membership crisis between the Senior Staff Association of Statutory Corporations and Government Owned Companies (SSASCGOC) and the Amalgamated Union of Public Corporations Civil Service Technical and Recreation Services Employees (AUPCTRE).
The letter followed a disagreement over union affiliation and jurisdiction of the workers between the two unions in the organisation, which led to the management writing the ministry to seek clarification, based on the extant labour law.
However, in a letter dated 27th June, 2018, and addressed to the SON director general, the ministry said the jurisdictional scope of SSASCGOC, as provided in the union’s constitution approved by the Registrar of Trade Unions is to organise the senior staff in SON, and has the rights to do so.
The letter, signed by Uyi. A. Osagie, for the Registrar of Trade Unions read: “Any senior staff of Federal and state statutory corporations and governmentowned companies other than those engaged in activities which are strictly commercial, shall become a member of the association.” On the other hand, the letter stated that the jurisdictional scope of AUPCTRE as provided in the Third Schedule Part B of the Trade Unions Acts Cap.
T14 (LPN) 2004, provides that all junior staff shall belong to AUPCTRE.
“All junior staff employed in the federal and state corporations, civil service employees classified as technical workers of sports commissions and stadia, public recreation clubs by whatever name called, swimming pools, amusement centres, including carnivals, circuses, zoological garden and services similarly classified, excluding radio, television, NITEL, NIPOST, railways, airways and other corporation workers already unionised,”shall become members of AUPCTRE.
The letter further said, “in view of the above, it becomes evidently clear that while both unions can legitimately organise workers in SON, there are clear lines of demarcation as to which union can unionise the senior and junior cadre of staff in the organisation.” The Secretary General of SSACGOC, Comrade Ayo Olorunfemi, while reacting to the development, said the Registrar of Trade Union has officially communicated the jurisdictional scopes to both SASCGOC and AUPCTRE as enshrined in the Trade Union Act as amended.
“By the law, whilst SSASCGOC has jurisdiction to unionise senior staff the AUPCTRE has jurisdiction to unionise junior staff,” he said.
However, he regretted that AUPCTRE is threatening to picket the organisation with the assistance of the Nigeria Labour Congress ( NLC).
Comrade Olorunfemi said such picketing of the organisation for implementing the provision of the Trade Union Act; would be illegal if carried out.
He pointed out that the issue was very simple, and the Registrar of Trade Unions has communicated to them what the law says, adding that a court of law cannot even overturn the position of the law.