• NLC rejects a salary per month arrangement
The Ekiti State chapter of Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has doubted Governor Ayode Fayose’s pledge to defray the backlog of salaries and pension before his administration terminates on October 16 this year.The movement also vowed not to accept a salary per month arrangement, mandating the governor to pay two months’ salaries and pension every 30-day till his tenure expires.
In a statement yesterday after the union’s council meeting at the weekend in Ado-Ekiti, the chairman, Comrade Ade Adesanmi, said workers were beginning to be “hopeless about the possibility of Governor Fayose to defray the backlog of salaries and pension as well as gratuities owed state workers since his tenure is gradually winding up.”He maintained that it was becoming clearer by the day that government was not committed to the payment as earlier promised.
Adesanmi noted that labour was finding it extremely difficult to convince the workers that the present administration would adhere to its promise to pay up before the governor-elect, Kayode Fayemi, takes over mantle of leadership.
The NLC urged the government to seek an alternative way of offsetting the arrears “before the situation goes out of hands by paying at least two salaries per month commencing from July.”The labour leader pleaded with stakeholders not to read political meanings to the action, pledging workers’ continued apolitical disposition to happenings in the state.He said: “The Ekiti State government appears not to be ready to fulfill its pledge of defraying the long-standing gratuities, pensions, salaries and deductions of workers before the end of its tenure.
“The situation is even worse off with council workers and primary school teachers in the state.“The situation has reached an unbearable level and we could no longer fold our arms and watch.
“With just two months left for this government to finish its tenure, workers are now hopeless about the payment of their outstanding salaries, pension, gratuities and deductions. More so, there are no convincing strategies in place to show that this administration would not leave as a debtor.”
Adesanmi went on: “Sequel to this, leaders are now in a difficult position to convince workers on the need to endure further.“We are hereby saying that failure to address this pitiable and emphatic situation of workers, the leadership of labour might not be able to guarantee industrial harmony in the state.” (Guardian)
