Workers in Osun state are in for a showdown with Governor Rauf Aregbesola for paying them half salaries even after collecting Paris Club loan refund.
Governor Rauf Aregbesola
Governor Rauf Aregbesola of Osun State is in loggerheads with state workers who after an emergency meeting of labour leaders on Thursday declared their intention to begin an indefinite strike.
The strike is as a result of the refusal of the state government to revert to paying them full salary and arrears despite the receipt of the third tranche of N6.3 billion Paris Club loan refund.
According to a report by Punch, the workers under the umbrella of the Osun State Joint Public Service Negotiating Council gave the strike notice in a statement issued on Friday following an emergency meeting of labour leaders on Thursday.
The notice of strike was signed by the Chairman JPSNC, Bayo Adejumo; Chairman, Nigeria Labour Congress, Tunde Adekomi and the Trade Union Congress Chairman, Bowale Adekola and leaders of various affiliate unions.
The notice read in part, “Consequent upon the refusal of the government of Osun State to accede to the demands of the workers and pensioners as contained in our letter of Tuesday, December 5, 2017, the workers of Osun State will be proceeding on an indefinite strike by 27th December , 2017.”
The labour leaders enjoined the workers to stay at home until they received another directive from them concerning the strike.
The labour leaders had on Tuesday disagreed with Governor Rauf Aregbesola over his insistence on paying November salary with the modulated scheme which makes workers from grade level 08 and above collect between 75 and 50 per cent of their salaries.
The workers had insisted that the state had the financial ability to pay them full salaries, saying most of them had been collecting half salaries since September 2015.
But the governor in a statement issued by his Commissioner for Information, Mr. Adelani Baderinwa, pleaded that they should exercise more patience till the state was able to revert to paying full salary.