Ogun Civil Servants begin strike tomorrow

0
365

By; NIYI OGUNGBOLA, Abeokuta.
The Ogun State Joint National Public Service Negotiating Council (JNC) has ordered workers in the state to commence an indefinite strike from tomorrow Thursday.
The state council Chairman, Comrade Abiodun Olakanmi, declared the strike at a joint press conference held in Abeokuta with his counterparts from the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress (TUC).
Olakanmi‎ said both civil and public servants in the state would embark on total strike by Thursday if the Governor Ibikunle Amosun-led administration failed to remit their 12 months salary deductions.
He said that the 21-day ultimatum ‎earlier issued to the state government to offset its indebtedness to workers or risk industrial action expires on Wednesday.
 
He explained that the industrial action was necessary to draw attention of the public to the deteriorating living conditions of the state worker‎s.
 
‎Olakanmi stated that the government owed workers 12 months unions’ check off dues, 72 months contributory pension deductions and gratuities of retirees.
 
He added that the Amosun administration was also owing 12 months of global deductions, including bank loans’ repayment, cooperative savings, Ileya/festival savings.
 
He said, “As a result of this ugly trend which had prompted our suspended strike in March this year with the interventions from the Paramount Obas and other well-meaning citizens of the state including the Ogun State House of Assembly, we viewed the inaction of the state government as being deliberate, calculative and designed to make the civil servants poorer.
 
“The organised labour can no longer tolerate the bluff of the state government while most workers are made to agonize in silence.”
 
Olakanmi, who was flanked by Akeem Ambali and Olubunmi Fajobi, NLC and TUC chairmen respectively, also called on the government to immediately pay the 16 months salary arrears of staff of the state-owned Tai Solarin College of Education (TASCE), Omu-Ijebu.‎
 
“All state public/civil servants of Ogun state are directed to proceed on indefinite strike on Thursday until they hear otherwise from the leadership of the organised labour,” he added.
 
Reaching, the Secretary to the State Government, Taiwo Adeoluwa, said the organise labour had yet to officially communicate either the ultimatum or strike notice to the government.
 
Adeoluwa assured that the state government would react appropriately when the workers eventually serve the notice.
 
HIs words, “The government is yet to be served, it is still a rumour to us and it will be unfair to comment on what I don’t know. I don’t know what the grouse is; all this is news to me.
“I am going to interface with the Head of Service to see if any notice has been served on him. But importantly, we are yet to receive any communication to the effect of impending strike, when they serve us, we will react appropriately.”

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here