Groaning under crushing economic hardship caused by unpaid
salaries, workers in Oyo and Osun states have embarked on strike.
Specifically, labour unions in the two states directed their
members to embark on strike in order to press home demands for the payment of
owed salary arrears.
In Osun, the state Chairman, Nigeria Labour Congress, Mr. Jacob
Adekomi, who addressed a news conference in Oshogbo, on Monday, called on
workers to begin a strike today after the expiration of a 14-day ultimatum
given to the state government.
Adekomi, who read from a text said, “That the 14-day ultimatum
issued to the government expired today (Monday, May 25, 2015).
“That an indefinite strike action be commenced by all the
workers in the State of Osun as from Tuesday, May 26, 2015 due to the failure
of the government to accede to our legitimate demands, as contained in our
letter to the government dated May 12, 2015.
“The indefinite strike action will be total. Workers are advised
to stay at home while pressing home our demands. That no worker should resume
work until an announcement is made by the labour bodies to that effect.”
The labour union leader said that apart from the salary issue,
the state government had refused to remit the contributory pension deductions
from workers’ salaries to their respective retirement saving accounts.
A factional state Chairman of the NLC, Mr. Gambi Yusuf, when
contacted said his faction was in support of the strike since it was aimed at
fighting for the right of the entire workers in the state.
He said, “I am in support of it provided it is to fight for the
welfare of workers. It is okay by me. But these are the same set of people who said
before that the government did not owe them.”
But the state Governor, Mr. Rauf Aregbesola, has appealed to the
workers to show understanding with him on the issues.
Speaking through his media aide, Semiu Okanlawon, the governor
said he had tried to ensure a prompt payment of workers’ salaries despite the
decline in allocation to the state before the issue degenerated.
Okanlawon said, “At the heart of all these issues being raised
is insufficient fund. And regardless of the terrible revenue crisis that has
led us to this state as a country, we must bear in mind the very prudent manner
the Aregbesola’s government has managed the affairs of Osun.
“Therefore, workers can be certain that once the revenue
complications are solved, all these issues will vanish. And as a responsible
government, we still appeal to workers to show understanding – bearing in mind
that at times when even other states had started experiencing delays, Osun used
all it had to ensure workers did not feel the pang of the national revenue
crisis.”
Other unions present at the news conference included the NLC,
Trade Union Congress, Nigeria Union of Teachers, Nigeria Senior Civil Service
Union, Nigeria Union of Journalists, among others.
The Oyo State chapter of the Nigeria Labour Congress on Monday
said that in line with the directive of the national leaders of NLC, all
workers in the state should begin an indefinite strike on Tuesday (today).
Chairman of the union in the state, Waheed Olojede, stated after
a meeting of the state executive that the action became necessary after the
state government owed months of workers’ salaries and retirees’ pensions.
Olojede revealed however that the state council had been in negotiation with
the state government for some months on the issue and that an agreement had yet
to be reached when the national body of the NLC directed that the strike should
commence.
He said, “You are all aware sufficiently that in the last few
months in Nigeria, many state governments have owed salaries and pensions of
their workers. Oyo State is one of those states. In the last few months, we
have commenced negotiation with the state government on how best to pay
outstanding salaries and pensions of the workers and retirees.
“We were on the process until last Friday when the national
headquarters of the NLC issued a directive, instructing all state councils of
NLC where governments are owing salaries and pensions to begin industrial
action as from today, Monday 25, 2015. We have got in touch with the national
leadership of the NLC to make clarification on the action.
“Even when we notified them that the state NLC had commenced
negotiation with the state government, the directive from the national
headquarters insisted that notwithstanding our local arrangement, we must
comply and begin industrial action. Because of this and the fact that no state
council has the power to defy the authority of the national NLC, we immediately
called a meeting of the state executive to review the directive and our process
of negotiation.
“We therefore resolve that because of the law that established
the NLC, no state congress is higher than the national body. Arising from this
position, we have therefore resolved that we are left with no other option but
to direct all workers in Oyo State to respect the national directive and stay
at home from Tuesday (today).”
While expressing the optimism that the negotiation with the
state would still resolve the issue, Olojede called on the state government not
to abandon the negotiation, adding that as soon as a resolution was reached,
the state council would approach the national headquarters of the NLC with a
view to getting the permission for the workers to resume work.
“We appeal to the state government to show understanding on this
directive. The only condition that can make us appear before the leadership of
NLC is to have with us a mutually agreed Memorandum of Understanding spelling
out how best and quickly salary and pension arrears can be paid and how the
state will continue to pay them promptly,” he added.
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