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Tag: Ondo workers

  • Our agreement with Ondo workers, by SSG

    The Ondo State government yesterday gave details of its agreement with workers on the Paris Club refund.

    The government, in a statement by Secretary to the State Government (SSG) Ifedayo Abegunde said there was a misrepresentation on proceedings of the meeting at Cocoa Conference Hall, Governor’s Office, on August 21, between the government, led by Deputy Governor Agboola Ajayi, and labour leaders, on salary arrears.

    The statement reads: “The government registers its deep disappointment concerning this gross misrepresentation of facts and wishes to set the records straight.

    ”For the avoidance of doubt, government did not accede to any time limit within which salary arrears will be paid.  It, however, reiterated its stand to put the welfare of the people, including workers, as its priority.  Government, therefore, wishes to state as follows: Ondo State Government did not pay 80 per cent of the September, 2016 arrears in error  as due consideration was given to equity and fairness; the government will not shirk its responsibility to the people, both  in the public and private sectors, as this administration is committed to its mandate; the Deputy Governor, Agboola Ajayi, did not make the  statement  credited to him with regard to the senior special assistant (Special Duties & Strategy); the widely circulated bulletin in the social media that the deputy governor promised to make the governor’s aide  “pass through a series of lessons to remould (sic) him to become a cultured entity in the government of Arakunrin” is absurd.

    ”The government emphasised that it would continue to make salaries of  workers its priority.  In response to the request of labour that the outstanding 20 per cent  be paid before the end of August, 2017 it was made clear that the government would pay the 20 per cent when it had resources as it would not borrow  to pay salaries.

    ”We use this medium to appeal to all, especially union leaders to always avoid statements and actions that may overheat the system.”

  • One month salary arrears for Ondo workers

    One month salary arrears for Ondo workers

    Ondo State Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu has directed that the state’s civil servants be paid the salary arrear owed them, starting with last August.
    The governor, who gave the directive yesterday, said the civil servants must be paid the one month’s salary before Easter.
    He said: “We know that our people are suffering. I have decided that there is need to put smiles on their faces. Therefore, I have decided that civil servants in the state should be paid their salary for August before Easter.”
    The last administration left salary arrears of six months, between August 2016 and January 2017.

  • Jubilation as Akeredolu pays Ondo workers’ March salaries

    Jubilation as Akeredolu pays Ondo workers’ March salaries

    It was jubilation galore yesterday in Ondo State as civil servants received their March salaries.

    The state governor, Mr. Oluwarotimi Akeredolu SAN,  has by this gesture kept the promise that his administration would not owe salaries.

    His predecessor, Dr Olusegun Mimiko, owed the workers seven months salaries before he left office.

    The Nation observed an usual queue of  the workers at various Automated Teller Machines (ATM) after they  received the alerts on their phones.

    A staff at Ministry of Environment, Mr. Bode Ojajuni, who spoke with our reporter commended the governor for keeping to his promise.

    According to him, “we are happy because we are no longer in the era of waiting for months without salaries.

    “At least I can now act like a father and husband at home. We have been sustaining ourselves at home with the little gains we make from the petty business of my wife.”

    Another workers, Mrs Funmi Bambi, urged Akeredolu to clear the seven months owed by Mimiko..

    She said “some of us cannot go to the bank to cash our money because our monthly salaries are being used to service out loans.

    “If our governor can clear all the seven months or three months, we will be able to smile home,” she said.

    Aside from the salary, the governor, also, yesterday ordered the immediate rehabilitation of all roads in the three senatorial districts of the state.

    The governor mobilized engineers, technicians and other relevant officials of the Ondo State Agency For Road Maintenance and Construction (OSARMCO) to the areas where the massive Road Revolution Programme had kicked off.

    A statement by OSARMCO spokesman ,Wale Omosebi, said major towns in the three senatorial districts were being affected as work has commenced on the internal and access roads in the Ondo State University of Science and Technology (OSUSTECH) in Okitipupa in the southern part of the state.

    It said walkways were already being cast with kerbs just as the components of the car park are being put in place.

    The statement said Akeredolu has assured that his administration would take urgent steps to put in place structures and processes that would make the dream on the academic institution a reality.

    It said: “In the Central Senatorial District, reconstruction of the road linking Ilara-Mokin with Ikota  in Ifedore Local Government Area is in progress to ensure that the project is delivered in  time.

    “The road, when eventually completed to Ikota will enable road users from Ilesa and Ibadan attempting to link Orita-Obele area of the state capital and Ijare as well as other neighbouring towns to avoid the FUTA area thereby reducing traffic challenges in the area.”

    OSARMCO Chairman, Engr Kehinde Osikoya,said the first phase of Ilara-Mokin-Ikota road would be completed soon while the second phase is expected to follow in due course.

  • Ondo workers begin strike over salaries

    Ondo workers begin strike over salaries

    •Govt: we’re working to pay

    ONDO State workers will today begin an indefinite strike over non-payment of their five months’ salaries.

    The decision to embark on the industrial action was taken at a meeting yesterday morning in Akure, the state capital.

    It was attended by leaders of Joint Negotiating Committee (JNC), Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress (TUC).

    A statement jointly issued by the unions’ chairmen – NLC (Bosede Daramola), JNC (Adeleye Sunday) and TUC (Ekundayo Soladoye) as well as their secretaries – NLC (Adewale Sanusi), JNC (Akinlolu Oluwole and TUC (Fatuase Clement) – lamented the hardship being faced by the workers.

    It reads: “At the emergency meeting held Tuesday, May 31, 2016, by the leadership of JNC, NLC and TUC to deliberate on the plight of workers due to the failure of the state government to pay its workers/pensioners since January 2016, the labour leaders resolve as follows:

    That it has become unbearable that workers have not received salaries for the past five months at a stretch.

    That non-payment of salaries to workers have affected the well-being of workers/pensioners economically, socially, psychologically and health wise, and that workers in the state can no longer bear this situation, in view of the untold hardship suffered by these workers.

    “In view of the above, all workers are hereby directed to embark on an indefinite strike as from tomorrow until further notice.”

    But the state government yesterday sympathised with the workers over their unpaid salaries, saying efforts are being made to “clear outstanding salaries as soon as possible”.

    Commissioner for Information Kayode Akinmade, in a statement issued in Akure, explained that allocation from the Federation Account, which all states rely upon to pay workers’ salaries, has drastically gone down.

    He added: “Today, most states of the federation have devised the means of preserving between five and six months’ allocations to be able to pay month’s salary.

    “The state government being a people’s government is not folding its arms. We are already discussing with the Federal Government on the need to reimburse the state with the money deducted from states’ funds to offset the Paris Club’s debt.

    “It is also important that to say that the Federal Government has verified more than N9.5 billion that Ondo State government disbursed on the maintenance of federal facilities within our jurisdiction. If we get funds from these two sources, we would be in a better position to clear the backlog of salaries.

    “We also want say that this is a trying period for the country and we crave the workers’ understanding to have a rethink because of the implications and consequences of the planned industrial actions on the millions of Ondo people.”

  • ‘Disengaged’ Ondo workers protest unpaid salaries

    ‘Disengaged’ Ondo workers protest unpaid salaries

    •Seek Mimiko’s intervention

    Over 200 Ondo State workers allegedly   sacked by the government have urged Governor Olusegun Mimiko to reinstate them and pay their arrears.

    The workers, mainly from the Teaching Service Commission (TESCOM) in Owo, Irele, Ose and Hospital Management Board (HMB), said the government owed them six months’ salaries.

    A worker, who pleaded for anonymity, said they contacted the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Trade Union Congress (TUC) and other relevant bodies on their plight without success.

    He said: “We were employed shortly before the 2012 governorship election and passed the first and second verification exercise in August and September under the supervision of the Commissioner for Budget and Planning, Akin Daramola and his counterpart in the Transport Ministry, Nicholas Tofowomo.

    “We just learnt that prior to payment of the bailout fund, our names were removed from the pay roll, an indication that we were secretly sacked without any letter of disengagement.”

    They said the development snowballed into gradual disengagement of workers in “secrecy” to prevent protests.

    But a top government source said the affected workers were illegally employed in 2012.

     

     

  • Ondo workers worried over likely low-key Christmas

    Ondo workers worried over likely low-key Christmas

    CHRISTMAS may be low-key for Ondo State workers as the government may not pay them October salary and leave bonus as it promised.

    It was gathered that Commissioner for Finance Yele Ogundipe met with union leaders and promised to pay the workers October salary and leave bonus today.

    But sources said the government would only be able to pay October salary in batches and put off the bonus.

    State Chairman of the Joint Negotiating Council (JNC) Sunday Adeleye confirmed the meeting with government representatives.

    Adeleye dismissed allegations by workers that the union had been compromised.

    He said: “You will recall that on September 30, workers went on strike and we were paid two salaries and four months’ deductions.

    “The union has been doing everything within its power but you know when you are doing something some people may believe you are not doing enough.

    “We have met with the commissioner for Finance and the accountant-general and they both promised that by today October and leave bonus will be ready. The question is why are they paying October in December?

    “The major issue is leave bonus, which is entitlement, and as I am talking to you, it has not been paid.

    “We heard rumours that the government is not ready to pay leave bonus again.

    “The most painful part is that most of us are expecting this leave bonus not for Christmas alone but to pay fees next year.

    “Financially, Ondo State workers may have a bleak Christmas, spiritually, I pray they have a good Christmas.

    “We have an agreement with the government that it will owe us one month  but it is now two months and that is a breach of agreement. As I’m talking to you, government owes us two months and by next week, it becomes three.”

    The Governor’s Senior Special Assistant (SSA) on Union Matters, Dayo Fadahunsi, said the government was working to ensure workers are paid before Christmas.

  • Ondo workers to be paid today

    Ondo workers to be paid today

    Civil servants in Ondo State will receive their two-month salary arrears today, the government has said.

    Commissioner for Information Kayode Akinmade, in a statement after the executive council meeting yesterday, said Governor Olusegun Mimiko directed that the arrears be paid today as agreed by the council.

    He said the governor was satisfied with the workers verification, especially the savings the government was able to make through identification of ghost workers.

    The governor also mentioned that officials involved in  manipulations will be punished.

     

  • salaries: Ondo workers protest

    salaries: Ondo workers protest

    Ondo State workers yesterday in Akure, the state capital, marched on the office of the accountant general at Alagbaka to demand for payment of their three- month salary arrears

    The protesters carried placards with various inscriptions, such as “Ondo Government, where is our bailout money?”; “Accountant General must go”; “N14:68bn bailout fund fixed by Mimiko”; “Hardship is getting worse”, among others.

    The protest was led by the state Chairman, Joint Negotiating Council (JNC), Comrade Sunday Adeleye.

    He decried the government’s failure to pay their salaries, despite receiving bailout fund from the Federal Government.

    Adeleye gave the government 24 hours to pay all outstanding salaries and deductions.

    He called for the removal of the accountant general for allegedly refusing to pay their outstanding salaries.

    Addressing the protesters, Head of Service Toyin Akinkuotu assured that the workers would receive their salaries soon.

    Akinkuotu said all outstanding salaries would be paid, adding that the government would also pay their two months deductions of May and June.

    According to him, government is fully committed to the payment of workers salaries and their welfare packages but must ensure that only genuine workers are paid.

    Akinkuotu attributed the delay in payment to the anomalies discovered during the just concluded verification in the civil service.

    He said the exercise was almost completed.

     

  • Ondo workers to begin strike

    Ondo workers to begin strike

    Public servants in Ondo State are to begin an indefinite strike tomorrow, if the government fails to pay all outstanding salaries and deductions.

    The workers, through the State Chairman of the Joint Public Service Negotiating Council (JNC), Sunday Adeleye, said the seven-day ultimatum given to the government had expired.

    He said: “We have been meeting with the government representative since last week after issuing a statement of a seven-day ultimatum.

    “But if by today, the government fails to accede to our demand, the union will have no other option than to call a congress and a total indefinite strike will be declared.”

    Last week, the workers issued a seven-day ultimatum to the government to pay their entitlements.

    They said cooperative societies were no longer functioning due to unpaid deductions.

    The ultimatum was contained in a statement by Adeleye after a meeting with labour leaders.

    Adeleye, in the statement, said the non-payment of deductions  showed that the government was insensitive to their plight.

     

  • Ondo workers to begin strike

    Ondo workers to begin strike

    Public servants in Ondo State are to begin an indefinite strike tomorrow, if the government fails to pay all outstanding salaries and deductions.

    The workers, through the State Chairman of the Joint Public Service Negotiating Council (JNC), Sunday Adeleye, said the seven-day ultimatum given to the government had expired.

    He said: “We have been meeting with the government representative since last week after issuing a statement of a seven-day ultimatum.

    “But if by today, the government fails to accede to our demand, the union will have no other option than to call a congress and a total indefinite strike will be declared.”

    Last week, the workers issued a seven-day ultimatum to the government to pay their entitlements.

    They said cooperative societies were no longer functioning due to unpaid deductions.

    The ultimatum was contained in a statement by Adeleye after a meeting with labour leaders.

    Adeleye, in the statement, said the non-payment of deductions  showed that the government was insensitive to their plight.