Labour unions in Osun State under the aegis of Osun State Joint Public Service Negotiating Council have warned Governor Rauf Aregbesola against paying workers half salaries for the month of March 2015.
The JNC said the plan to pay them half of their salaries for the month of March was a violation of the Memorandum of Understanding signed by both parties before the workers suspended their strike. A copy of the communiqué was made available to our correspondent in Osogbo on Friday.
The letter which was signed by the Chairman, Nigeria Labour Congress, Mr. Jacob Adekomi; Chairman, Nigeria Union of Teachers, Mr. Wakeel Amudah and others urged Aregbesola to direct the Accountant General of the state and the Accountant of the Ministry of Local Government not to release the half salaries.
The workers said they would decide on the next line of action to take should the governor refuse to rescind the decision to pay them half salaries.
The communiqué read, “It was on record that bailout of N34.988bn was released to this state on Thursday 3rd of September, 2015 according to the Central Bank of Nigeria’s Governor, Mr. Godwin Emefiele and instead of the government fulfilling her own side of the deal by carrying out section 3(f) of the MoU signed with the labour on the 13th and 29th July respectively, reverse was the case.
“The information released through the Head of Service on the payment of outstanding salaries on Wednesday was completely opposite the spirit of the existing MoU which had generated palpable tension among the workers and the entire people of Osun State.
“That government should effect immediate implementation of the MoU signed on Monday 13th July, 2015. That labour movements in the state reject in its entirety the payment of half salaries as announced by the Head of Service on Wednesday 9th, September, 2015 and should not be paid into workers’ accounts.”
The Council of Academic Staff Unions of Osun State Owned Tertiary Institutions has also told lecturers at the two state polytechnics and those in the two colleges of education to ignore the directive of the state government to come out for fresh workers’ verification exercise.
The statement was signed by the CASUOSTI Chairman, Lasisi Jimoh; Secretary, Olusegun Lana; Chairman, Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics, Iree, Dotun Omisore; ASUP Chairman, Esa Oke, Adesola Akande; COEASU Ila-Orangun Chairman, Segun Onifade and COEASU Ilesa Chairman, Oladele Ojo.
The lecturers said the fresh verification was nothing but another ploy to further delay payment of outstanding salaries despite the fact that the government had received its share of the bailout.
SOURCE: Punch
