Worried by the suffering, which thousands of employees and their dependants will face when they are thrown into the over-saturated labour market by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria (ASCSN) has vowed to resist plan by the Commission to engage in mass sack of its workforce.

 In a press statement issued in Lagos and signed by its Secretary-General, Barrister Solomon Onaghinon, the Association expressed shock that while countries all over the world were taking measures to cushion the adverse effects of global economic meltdown on their citizens, the INEC was contemplating how to inflict maximum punishment on Nigerian workers and their dependants.

 The Union's reaction came on the heels of newspaper reports which credited the INEC Chairman, Professor Maurice Iwu, with plan to retrench the Commission's workers enmasse

 Onaghinon recalled that in its efforts to ameliorate the negative consequences of the world economic recession on its citizens, the Federal Government issued Circular No. SGF.8/VII/305 of 26th March 2009 and pledged to maintain the present level of employment in the public service so that no worker lost his or her job as a result of the economic downturn and urged the private sector to follow suit.

 “We are, therefore, surprised that the INEC, which is one of the agencies of the Federal Government, can unilaterally decide to flagrantly violate this Government policy with impunity.

 “We call on President Umar Yar'Adua to prevail on Professor Iwu to drop the mass sack threat and acquaint himself with the contents and spirit of the current Circular issued by the Federal Government on retrenchment,” he emphasized.

 The ASCSN chief scribe explained that Section 20 of the Labour Act 1990 prohibited employers from retrenching workers until the reasons for the redundancy and the welfare of workers had been discussed by the employers and the trade union or workers' representative.

 Section 20 (1) (a) of the Labour Act 1990 on Redundancy provides as follows: “The employer shall inform the trade union or workers' representative concerned of the reasons for and the extent of the anticipated redundancy.”

 Section (20) (2) adds that: “The Minister  may make regulation providing generally or in particular cases, for the compulsory payment of redundancy allowances on the termination of a worker's employment because of his redundancy.”

 The ASCSN Secretary-General noted that the INEC had refused to obey various court judgments by the National Industrial Court (NIC), the Federal High Court, Abuja and the Court of Appeal, Abuja ordering the Commission to allow its employees to be properly unionized.

 He added that the Commission also ignored the wise counsel of the Federal Ministry of Labour which advised the INEC to allow its workers to join trade union since it was not a military or para-military organization or belonged to strategic essential services whose employees were excluded from trade unionism.

 “It is crystal clear now that Professor Iwu who claimed to be a former Vice President of Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has a hidden agenda to sack thousands of Nigerian workers. 

 “As a public officer, Professor Iwu must operate within the ambit of the law and due process.” Onaghinon stated.

 The ASCSN Secretary-General stated that the INEC workers are not slaves but free citizens of Nigeria who are protected by the laws of the land irrespective of the personal feelings of Professor Iwu.

He regretted that the INEC which was supposed to be nurturing democratic ideals in the country and as such should be a role model for other organizations to emulate had been in the forefront of government agencies flouting court orders with impunity by denying Nigerian workers their constitutional rights of membership of trade union.

 Onaghinon enjoined President Yar'Adua to call Professor Iwu to order and ensure that he did not trigger off avoidable industrial crisis the country could least afford at this point in time.