Staff of the National Identification Authority (NIA), who belong to the Public Services Workers’ Union (PSWU), yesterday commenced an indefinite strike action over unresolved grievances.
The Union said they had to take this action due to protracted delays and broken assurances from the Ministry of Finance regarding the payment of their Operational Support Allowance.
According to PSWU, the allowance in question, described by the union as the only financial supplement to the NIA staff’s “meagre basic pay,” has not been paid since January 2025, despite prior agreements.
The strike, announced in a statement issued yesterday, followed a final round of discussions with the Ministry on June 23, 2025.
The talks, according to the Union, failed to yield a clear commitment or timeline for the resumption of payments.
Negotiated in July 2024 and implemented from August through to December of that year, the Operational Support Allowance was the product of extensive talks between the PSWU and representatives from the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission and the Ministry of Finance.
Union leaders say staff had exercised patience in the months since payments ceased, largely in response to repeated assurances from NIA management.
As recently as June 18, 2025, at a media briefing, management reiterated that the outstanding funds would be disbursed “very, very soon”.
However, Monday’s meeting with Finance Ministry officials yielded no clear roadmap, prompting the decision to down tools.
“This difficult but necessary decision has become inevitable,” a statement issued by the PSWU–NIA Divisional Executive Council said. “Repeated follow-ups, constructive engagement, and our demonstrated willingness to cooperate in good faith have regrettably not been met with the urgency and seriousness this issue demands.”
The union acknowledged the efforts of various stakeholders to mediate a resolution but lamented the lack of action from the Ministry, noting that staff across the NIA’s head office, regional offices, premium centres, and district offices have been placed under severe financial and emotional strain.
“This industrial action is not taken lightly. It reflects the deep frustration of staff who have endured this situation for far too long amidst persistent neglect,” the statement continued.
All PSWU members at the NIA have been directed to withdraw their services effective immediately, with the union calling on its members to remain peaceful and law-abiding throughout the period of industrial action.
The union further stated its readiness to return to the negotiating table, provided discussions result in “prompt and full payment” of the owed allowance.
