Labour Shelves Strike in Ondo as Akeredolu Pays 6 Months Salary Arrears

Organised Labour in Ondo state has called off their planned indefinite strike over salary arrears being owed them by the Ondo state Government.

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The strike was called off after the state Governor Rotimi Akeredolu paid 6 months out of the 7 months salary arrears being owed workers in the state.

Organised Labour in the state, led by the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) had threatened to go on strike due to the backlog of salaries being owed the government despite getting N20 billion Paris Club refund the state got from the federal government.

Organised Labour in the state had demanded that Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu should pay workers’ salary arrears or face the consequences of an indefinite strike in the state.

Chairman of NLC, Tayo Ogunleye, Soladoye Ekundayo of TUC and Abel Oloniyo of JNC gave the state government seven days ultimatum to pay the arrears with the Paris Club refund.

The state NLC Chairman told Journalists that the state government had paid six out of the seven months arrears and pledged to pay the remaining before the end of January 2019.

He noted that the leadership of the organised labour had not compromised on the strike but only negotiated with the government on the welfare of workers.

He however berated the state government for waiting for an ultimatum from the state workers before performing its duty.

Reacting to the news, the chief press secretary to the governor, Segun Ajiboye, reminded the press that Akeredolu’s government inherited seven months arrears of workers’ salary from its predecessor, ex-governor Mimiko.

According to him, the last time former Governor Olusegun Mimiko’s administration paid salaries, was August 2016;

“Akeredolu has vowed to clear the arrears and prioritise the welfare of workers. Today, he has kept to the promise; in less than two years in office, he has paid six months arrears out the seven months inherited.

The governor does not view the payment of salary as achievement; rather, he sees it as a responsibility of government.

Only arrears of December 2016 is yet to be paid. By the end of this year, workers in Ondo State would have collected salary for 15 months – 12 in the year and three arrears of past years.”