June 28, (THEWILL) – Organised Labour in Ogun State will on Tuesday, embark on an indefinite strike, to press home their demands over five months unpaid salaries and contributory pensions.
The labour, which consist of Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Trade Union Congress (TUC) and Joint Negotiating Council (JNC), said on Monday, that it would begin an indefinite strike by 12:00 a.m on Tuesday.
The workforce wondered why Governor Dapo Abiodun’s administration still refused to meet and engage its leadership, after 21 days warning strike, insisting that the industrial action must commence by midnight Monday.
They all gathered at the Arcade Ground, not too far from the Governor’s office at the State Secretariat, singing solidarity songs to press home their demands on salary payment and contributory pensions.
The State Chairman of NLC, Comrade Emmanuel Bankole, who made the announcement of the strike, stressed that the government of Abiodun was not sincere with the welfare of the workers.
Bankole stated that the five months salaries owed by the state government was uncalled for, while urging the current administration to consider the payment of salaries and contributory pensions.
He charged the workers to respect the strike time and not to come to work on Tuesday, noting that any worker who disobeyed the order would be regarded as a traitor.
“We have taken a decision and the decision is that we are embarking on an indefinite strike, from 12 midnight today. We will embark on the strike.
“It is unexplainable why the government will be holding 21 months deductions, what it translates to, is that, the government is owing Ogun State workers five months salary and we must put a stop to that
“And if over three years we, continue to engage the government on contributory pensions and yet they are not ready to talk with us, what that means is that, if you and I don’t take our destinies into our hands, it will continue and what it means is that the future of all workers in the state is in jeopardy.”
Also the State TUC Chairman, Comrade Akeem Lasisi, who said that the state government is owing workers N68 billion, said that the strike action must begin exactly at 12:00 midnight.
Lasisi expressed worry, that if the government is paying N2 billion annually, going by its N500 million quarterly payment, it would take the government 35 years to offset the gratuities.
“If govt is paying N2 billon annually, that means the state government will spend 35 years to offset gratuities.”
He noted that all schools, hospitals, Local Government Offices, Ministries, Departments and Agencies, should be closed and workers should stay home and not come to work.
On his own part, the State Chairman of JNC, Isa Bolude, said that the workers remain committed and would not shy away from their responsibilities, insisting that the strike must hold.
“we sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the state government over our demands on minimum wage, pensions and others, but none was responded to”, he added.
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