The organised labour unions in Ondo State have threatened to commence strike on Tuesday (tomorrow) if the government failed to pay the backlog of their salary arrears.
The workers asked Governor Rotimi Akeredolu to pay the backlog from the N20bn Paris Club refund the state received from the Federal Government recently.
This was contained in a letter to the governor dated November 9, 2018. The letter was signed by state chairmen of the Nigeria Labour Congress, the Trade Union Congress and the Joint Negotiating Council, Tayo Ogunleye; Soladoye Ekundayo and Abel Oloniyo, respectively.
The workers accused the governor of not consulting the labour unions on the release of the Paris Club refund to the state as both parties had earlier agreed.
According to the workers, industrial peace in the state might not be guaranteed if the government failed to pay the outstanding salaries on Tuesday as they threatened to resume the strike suspended on June 2016 in the state.
The letter read in part, “We want to draw the attention of His Excellency to the recommendations of a committee on payment of six months arrears of salary to Ondo State workers set up by the state government that was submitted to Your Excellency in May 2017.
“We also hold that the said agreement subsists between labour and the government of Ondo State irrespective of who mounts the mantle of leadership particularly when the state Head of Service remains the signatory to both the agreement and the committee report.
“In view of the above, we call on the government to please pay in line with our agreement as analysed in our letter under reference on or before 12 noon Tuesday, November 13, 2018. “
The state Commissioner for Information, Mr Yemi Olowolabi, said the matter would be resolved.
PUNCH.
