Workers in the Ondo state government have threatened to commence strike action if their salaries and accumulated deductions were not paid.
They have issued eight days ultimatum to Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu to pay October salary and six months deductions from their salaries.
According to the workers, the non-payment of the deductions have crippled operations of cooperative societies in the state public service and tertiary institutions.
In a letter on Thursday, November 19, 2020, addressed to Governor Akeredolu and signed by Chairmen and Secretaries of NLC, TUC, and JNC, Sunday Adeleye-Oluwole, Helen Odofin, Niyi Fabunmi; Omokehinde Shado, Tajudeen Balogun, and Kehinde Olomiyw respectively, the Ondo workers called for a meeting to be convened on or before Friday, November 27, for discussions on how to defray the outstanding salaries and allowances.
According to the letter, “Mr. Governor, situation prevalent at this time requires re-thinking, re-jigging and re-working the current mode of salary payment to a model that will satiate all interests.
“We sacrificed the July 2020 salary in lieu of deductions which at the time had accumulated to five (5) months. You directed that whenever July 2020 allocation is leased, it should be for five months’ deductions.
“We pray the government should come up with an agreeable template with labour on payment of monthly salary. The said template must take care of the settlement of salary arrears (deductions) from May 2020 – September 2020, Pension arrears, outstanding subvention to state-owned tertiary Institutions.
“Going forward, the gross salary must take effect as we say no to the current mode of payment of salary i.e. Net payment. (iv) That, the model adopted by the Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs in salaries payment whenever there is a shortfall in Federal allocation to Local Government and SUBEB be adopted by the State Government since borrowing to augment salaries has become an uphill task.
“We are by this letter giving government up till Friday 27th November 2020 to convene a meeting where these prayers will be looked into with Labour. As we await further action necessary for the guarantee of industrial peace in our dear Sunshine State, we reiterate the fact that ‘there is a limit to human endurance.”
Donald Ojogo, the Ondo commissioner for Information and Orientation, could not be reached for comments.
Source: The Nation
