The government of Prince Dapo Abiodun of Ogun State has earned the approbation of organized labour in the state as the highest payer of labour across the nation.
Comrade Akeem Lasisi of Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC) and Comrade Isa Olude of Joint National Public Service Negotiating Council (JNC) made the acknowledgement yesterday in Abeokuta during a courtesy visit to the office of the Head of Service, Dr. Nafiu Aigoro to congratulate him on his recent appointment.
Speaking during the visit, the duo acknowledged that the State Government is paying the highest minimum wage across the country but pleaded that government should address issues agitating the minds of the workers, saying “industrial action does no good to both the labour force and government".
In his response, the Head of Service threw open the door of his office, urging the leadership of the various labour unions in the state to always feel free to approach his office for regular meetings and consultations necessary to address issues relating to the welfare of their members.
Aigoro assured them that government would leave no stone unturned to make living more abundant for workers adding that the state government was already looking into the germane issues bothering on the welfare of workers, with the aim of putting smiles on their faces.
Meanwhile, as part of efforts to address the plight of workers and pensioners in the state, Governor Prince Dapo Abiodun has again released 2 billion Naira for four months to offset part of Global Cooperative deductions, a debt profile inherited from the past administration.
He also promised to settle the rest of the deductions by releasing one billion naira quarterly until all the deductions made are defrayed.
Similarly, he released another 1 billion Naira for state and local government pensioners’ gratuities.
The new gratuities is a 100 percent increment from the earlier quarterly payment of N500m he had earlier commenced last year.
Chairman, Trade Union Congress, Ogun State branch, Comrade Akeem Lasisi, disclosed these at a press conference after a meeting between the leaders of Labour and Pensioners’ Unions and Governor Dapo Abiodun at the Governor’s Office, Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta.
According to the TUC Chairman, “we had a fruitful meeting with the governor today. This is a follow-up to other meetings we had before. In the meeting, we told the governor that workers are tensed up and restless due to non- payment of their deductions and the Governor agreed to do something about it.
“I am glad to inform you that he has directed the immediate release of N1bn for the payment of gratuiities and that N1bn will be released on quarterly basis for the Pensioners. As at today, four months of global deductions has been paid and the governor also promised to do this on quarterly basis” he explained.
Lasisi also said the Governor has promised that promotion letters for 2O18 will be fully implemented by the new year while promotion entitlement for 2019 would commence by March next year.
Gov. Abiodun also assured workers to expect to enjoy their promotion entitlements for 2020 from between May or June next year.
Also speaking, the State Chairman, Nigeria Union of Pensioners, Chief Waidi Oloyede, appreciated the State Government for the gesture and lauded the Governor for accepting to look into the monthly increment, saying that some of pensioners collect as low as N5,000, as monthly pension.
Secretary of the pension union, Dr. Bola Lawal in his contribution, said, as a responsible union, its members would not embark on any form of protest without informing the government, noting that the last protest was done by an Association and not his union as ,”there is a difference between an association and a union”.
State Chairman, Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria (ASCSON) and Chairman Joint Negotiations Committe, Comrade Isa Olude, called for commitment on the part of the parties involved to build trust and avoid misunderstanding.
Speaking, the Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Alhaji Waheed Odusile, reiterated government’s commitment to the welfare of workers who are serving and Pensioners who had served the state meritoriously.
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