Why we cannot honour pact with workers – Osun

Following the new strike action called by the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Osun State chapter, the state government has appealed to the workers for understanding, saying vocationthere was deficit in the funds sourced to offset part of their outstanding salaries. All Progressives Congress (APC) Director of Publicity and Strategy in the state, Mr. Kunle Oyatomi, said this is a statement made available to New Telegraph. He said government’s initial stand was to pay the two months arrears in full in agree ment with the labour leaders before the strike was suspended, but there was a deficit where the money was sourced from, as government is yet to receive its own share of bail-out from the Federal Government.

He said, “In order not to dissatisfy the workers based on the agreement, the government thought that it is better to pay half and balance up later. I can assure you that the balance would be paid before the week runs out.” The the Director, Bureau of Communication and Strategy, Governor’s Office, Semiu Okanlawon, in a statement, acknowledged the dissatisfaction of the workers following the partial payment of salaries. He quoted the governor, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, as calling for the understanding of all workers in the state. Osun state civil servants had suspended their over seven weeks strike action following a bailout deal between the Federal Government and some states including Osun.

However, the state Chairman of NLC, Jacob Adekomi, advised the workers not resume work as earlier directed since the state government had reneged on the earlier agreement. Adekomi said the workers rejected the half salary the state government offered because it was in breach of the agreement reached by both parties, saying that the workers were deceived to call off their strike action. According to him, the NLC suspended the strike because it believed government would honour the agreement in the Memorandum of Understanding the two parties signed, detailing how they wanted their salaries to be paid. He said, “It was brought to our notice that workers on grade level 1-7 in secondary schools and the civil service got full payment of their January salaries, while the senior officers got half salaries. Also, primary and secondary schools’ pensioners were paid 50 per cent of their pensions for January and November respectively.” He, however, said it was agreed that workers would be paid salaries for the months of January and February 2015 for secondary schools’ teachers and those in the core civil service.