Workers Strike Looms Over Ondo State As Months Of Unpaid Salaries, Pensions Cause Tension
The Oasis Reporters
June 24, 2018
Disquiet over an alleged donation of N2.27 billion into the campaign fund of the APC governorship candidate in Ekiti State, Dr. Kayode Fayemi made by Rotimi Akeredolu, elected on the Alliance For Democracy, AD platform but who quickly dumped the Party to join the APC, has propelled labour unions in Ondo State to threaten a strike action over months of unpaid salaries, arrears of 20 percent of October 2016, full salaries of November and December 2016 as well as January 2017.
This was made known in a bulletin issued by the Joint Negotiating Council (JNC) and signed by its Chairman, Comrade Abel Oloniyo.
Rising from an emergency meeting on Thursday, June 21, 2018, the unions in the Public Service of Ondo State, workers demanded for a meeting with Governor Akeredolu on Monday, June 25, failure of which they threatened to embark on an indefinite industrial action.
The unions said it was disheartening that Governor Akeredolu had not deemed it fit to discuss the welfare of the workers with the accredited union leaders despite series of efforts put in place by the union leaders to him for an audience.
The Bulletin Read: “The unions in the Public Service rose from an emergency meeting on Thursday 21st June, 2018 where other issues like 2018 promotion, arrears of 20% of October 2016 salary, full salaries of November, December, 2016 and January 2017 and deduction. Four months salaries of Local Government workers, 15 percent of September 2016, full salaries of October, November, December, 2016 and January 2017 are still outstanding. Despite the increase in federal allocation to the State, not to mention IGR that accrued to the State.”
It will be recalled that the alleged donation by Governor, Rotimi Akeredolu was said to have been made about two weeks ago after which he rode into Dr. Kayode Fayemi’s campaign venue in neighboring Ekiti State with a retinue of policemen on illegal duty after absconding from guarding a Bank in Nigeria’s commercial capital, Lagos.
One of the identified policemen fired his service rifle into the crowd, bringing Opeyemi Bamidele down in a pool of his own blood with scores of others injured.
Hon. Bamidele contested the APC gubernatorial primaries against Dr. Fayemi and lost.
