Unpaid salaries: Ondo workers suspend four weeks strike

The organised labour in Ondo State has reached an agreement to suspend its 30-day strike after a four-day negotiation with the representatives of the state government in Akure, Ondo State capital.

The state workers had strike for the past four weeks to press home their message.

The chairman of the State Joint Negotiation Council (JNC), Sunday Adeleye, who announced the suspension of the industrial action said the state government has agreed to pay all outstanding arrears of salaries and pensions after an agreement was signed between the two parties to end the crisis.

He said: “It was  resolved that all outstanding arrears of salaries and pensions shall be offset as a matter of priority from the refunds and reimbursement enbloc

“That subsequent salaries should be met as number one priority from the Internally Generated Revenue (IGR), Statutory Allocations, budget support loans, refund reimbursement and other sources.

“That government should step up efforts towards increasing its IGR to complement its dwindling allocations from the federation accounts as a way of meeting its financial obligations, especially in prompt salary payment,” Adeleye stated.

The JNC chairman also explained  that the two parties agreed that none of the state worker would be victimized, retrenched or retired on account of the  strike and “that government should progressively interface with the organised labour regarding the implementation of this agreement and other matters incidental thereto.”

The organised labour was represented at the negotiation meeting by the chairmen of Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Mrs  Bosede Daramola, the Trade Union Congress (TUC),  Mr Soladoye Ekundayo and JNC, Mr Sunday Adeleye, while the Head of Service, Mr Tony Akinkuotu, Commissioner for Finance, Mr Yele Ogundipe and the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr Eyitayo Jegede (SAN), represented the state government at the meeting.