Ogun: Strike looms as aggrieved workers issues ultimatum

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NIGERIA: AGGRIEVED workers in Ogun State have given 21 days ultimatum to the Ogun State government for the payment of their owed money, failure of which they would embark on strike.

The trio of the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC), Trade Union Congress (TUC) and the Joint Public Service Negotiating Council (JNC) issued the 21-day notice, which commenced last Thursday, on behalf of the aggrieved workers.

At the resolution arrived at after an extra-ordinary state executive councils meeting held at the Iwe Irohin Press Centre, Abeokuta, the Chairman of the NLC Akeem Ambali told the congress State Executive Committee (SEC) at a special emergency that the workers should be ready to embark on the strike anytime any moment “because it is either our money or nothing again.”

Ambali stated that all prior efforts to make the government honour her pledges proved futile “and that for six times now, our correspondences have been returned for corrections, which we had discovered to be a buy-time strategy.”

He stressed: “As we speak, the state owns 72 months of unpaid contributory pension scheme, 12 months of deductions, four years of unpaid pension and deliberate non-payment of TASCE salaries running to about 16 months.”

However, in a communique issued at the end of their meeting the workers resolved that 21-day ultimatum should be handed down to the government to see to their demands.

The notice of strike should commence from September 29, the workers said in the communique signed by TUC Chairman, Olubunmi Fajobi, JNC leader, Abiodun Olakanmi and Ambali.

They accused the government of crippling the local government through technical abolition of the Joint Account and Allocation Committee (JAAC).

This development, they claimed, had made the payment of salaries of the local government workers paid behind due date(s).

They also accused the Senator Ibikunle Amosun government of deliberately withholding workers’ deductions in the last one year, thus rendering their savings ineffective and also succeeding in making them redundant at meeting their basic needs.