Workers in Ogun down tools over unpaid 21-month deductions

Workers in Ogun state have embarked on indefinite strike over unpaid 21- month deductions by the State government.

The organised labour, comprising the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Trade Union Congress (TUC) and Joint Negotiating Committee (JNC), declared the strike while addressing workers at the State Secretariat, Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta.

The strike followed the expiration of the 7-day ultimatum issued by the Organised Labour to Gov. Dapo Abiodun over the government’s inability to pay 21 months deductions, non payment of eight years statutory leave allowances and breach of the State Pension Reform Law, 2006 (amended 2013) and the implementation of the Contributory Pension Scheme amongst other demands.

The workers, in their hundreds, who were singing solidarity songs berated Abiodun for failing to honour the agreement contained in the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in 2020.

The chairman of NLC in the state, Comrade Emmanuel Bankole, said the strike became imperative following several failed attempts to meet the governor over their plights.

He noted that the government had failed to respond to over seven letters written to the government on the issue.

Bankole directed all civil servants to stay away from work from Tuesday.

According to him, the strike which will take effect from 12a.m Tuesday will be indefinite , declaring that there is no going back until their demands are met by the governor.

He said “We are here today to take our destiny in our own hands. The leadership is ready. We must start a new beginning, we must tell them (government) that we are workers and we are not slaves. The time is now, a stop must be put to this.

“Our feature and the feature of the workers of Ogun state is in great jeopardy. Governance is a serious business and whoever that is not ready for it, I think it is time we tell such person to go home.

“Having given them enough time but they are so busy to attend to us, maybe of we go home for some time, they will have time to attend to our matter.

“Anyone who reports for duty tomorrow (Tuesday) is a traitor and it has never been well with a traitor,” Bankole said.