A section of public workers in Ekiti State has vowed not to participate in any politically-motivated strike intended to drag them into the politics of impeachment currently rocking the state.
Acting under the aegis of Enlightened Workers Forum(EWF), they demanded for the payment of outstanding salaries, bonuses and other entitlements owed them by the state government.
In a statement issued on Friday by the leader of the group, Mike Bamidele, they warned trade unionists against colluding with politicians to engineer a strike to frustrate the impeachment proceedings already launched by the 19 All Progressives Congress (APC) members.
They called on the state councils of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Trade Union Congress (TUC) and Joint Negotiation Council (JNC) to concentrate on fighting for the interests of the workers rather than dabbling into partisan politics.
The Forum called on the unions to drop the garb of politics and exert pressure on the Ayo Fayose administration to pay workers’ September and April salaries, 2014 leave bonus, accumulated pensions and gratuities of retirees.
It further charged the unions to champion the implementation of 2013 and 2014 outstanding promotions.
The Forum also warned the state government against reducing workers’ salaries over claims of shortfall of allocation from the Federation Account.
The statement read in part: “It will interest you to also know that, these unrepentant leaders are at it again as they would any moment from now, call out the innocent workers on a politically-motivated industrial action that would last till the second week in June 2015.
“This is in preference to the earlier plan of government to declare a ten-day holiday to workers beginning from May 29 pretentiously for the celebration of the expected smooth transition of government.
“The proposed script would be acted, with the state government initiating an action by offering to pay half salary for the month of April, labour on its part would be expected to reject it and this would generate a disagreement that would necessitate a strike action.
“This definitely , would be the climax of the unabated impunity in the state. Though, it is aimed at assisting the governor to overcome his predicament, but would end up, shutting down all arms of government activities in the state.
“Remember, the judiciary had not opened for business since the coming on board of this government owing to the unaddressed JUSUN strike and a couple of months ago, the legislative arm was shut down as the House of Assembly was placed under lock and key.
“There is no doubt that the shutting down of government for this length of time, would spell doom for the innocent indigenes of this state, as we shall be thrown into a state of anarchy and statelessness.”
The Forum accused some labour leaders of being card-carrying members of a political party expressing regrets that such individuals have found their ways into leadership positions of trade unions.