Laide Raheem, Abeokuta
Workers in Ogun State have called on the Ibikunle Amosun-led administration to, as a matter of urgency, offset four years leave allowances and 18 months global deductions owed them.
The state government was also told to remit 90 month deductions from workers’ salaries, to the Pension Fund Administrators (PFAs).
The chairman, Trade Union Congress (TUC) in the state, Olubunmi Fajobi, made the call, on Tuesday, while speaking at the 2018 May Day celebration, held at the M.K.O Abiola International Stadium, Abeokuta, the state capital.
Fajobi, said the state government should jettison the continuous payment of net salary instead of gross salary to the workers, the situation which he noted had impacted negatively on lives of the workers.
He noted the Contributory Pension Scheme (CPS) has completely become comatose in the state, disclosing 90 months deductions from workers’ salaries remained largely unremitted by the state government to the Pension Fund Administrators (PFAs).
Fajobi, who bemoaned a situation where public servants spend out of their meager partly paid salaries to run offices due to the inconsistency in the release of monthly running cost, however, urged the state government to commence payment of various arrears owed the workers.
“Your Excellency, it is no more news that public servants in several offices spend out of their meagre partly paid salaries to run their offices due to the inconsistency in the release of monthly running cost.
“In most of the field offices, public servants levy themselves to pay for electricity bills in order to avoid disconnection, buy papers to generate reports to the headquarters and pay for the production of such reports from open private business centres. This is ridiculous and unbecoming of a public service,” Fajobi stated.
In his speech, the chairman of Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) in the state, Akeem Ambali, represented by the vice chairman, Dare Ilekoya, canvassed the adoption and eventual approval of the N65,000 new minimum wage for public servants.
He, however, appealed to Governor Amosun to reinstate the remaining dismissed labour leaders, including the chairman, sacked in 2016, noting “it is painful and regrettable to recall that the NLC chairman had not received salary in the last 19 months of this travails. We therefore join other leaders across the country to plead for your forgiveness and normalize labour/government relationship”.
Responding, Governor Ibikunle Amosun, reiterated his administration’s commitment to the welfare of workers in the state.
Amosun, represented by his deputy, Mrs. Yetunde Onanuga, said his government was not unmindful of various demands and challenges of civil servants in the state, assuring efforts had been stepped up to ensure issues of outstanding promotions, deductions and other arrears are adequately addressed.
Amosun, however, warned civil servants in the state not to involve in partisan politics as 2019 general election beckoned, saying to do otherwise would not be tidy or pleasant.
“Let me seize this opportunity to state that, as the electioneering is fast approaching, I urge you not to downplay the provisions of the Public Service Rule and other extant laws. As law-abiding citizens, continue to exercise your civic rights and duties in line with the provisions of Constitution and purge yourselves of fifth columnists whose only mission is to lead us on the path of ignominy and unnecessary confrontation.
“I admonish our Civil Servants to leave politics to politicians alone. To do otherwise is not always tidy nor pleasant. As a major player in the economy, we all know that industrial harmony can only take place in an atmosphere of peace, cooperation and understanding”. Amosun said.