The Nigeria Labour Congress, (NLC) in Osun State has urged the state governor, Mr Rauf Aregbesola, to pay the outstanding salaries of workers who have been receiving half of their salary since July 2015.
A statement by the NLC chairman in Osun State, Comrade Jacob Adekomi, said the state government was owing workers on Grade Level (GL) 08 and above as well as pensioners for 18 months.
The NLC commended the state governor for paying the salaries of workers in the state up till November and urged the governor to fulfil his promise and pay the balance of the half salaries for the 18 months.
Comrade Adekomi said: “We do not doubt that Mr Governor is a man of his words and he will attend to the balance of the outstanding amount of the salaries of officers on GL.08 as well as the pensioners.
“The outgoing year was challenging for the workers in the state in the face of the grim and unfriendly economic situation due, to the economic recession.
“The development is no doubt sufficient to trigger industrial crises but the perseverance and understanding of workers in the state assured the civil servant that the NLC will pursue the payment of the outstanding balance of the half of their salaries since July 2015”.
However, the Director of the Bureau of Communication and Strategy in the Office of the Governor in Osogbo, Osun State, Mr Semiu Okanlawon, was silent on the issue of the payment of the balance of the outstanding of the half-salaries when he announced the modality for the payment of the salaries and pensions of September, October and November from the refunds from the Paris Club loans deductions through the Federal Government.
While workers are still expecting they payment, several protests have been held by pensioners in Osun State, with a demand for full payment of their pensions.