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Tag: salary arrears

  • Policeman demands payment of salary arrears

    Policeman demands payment of salary arrears

    A policeman, Oluwaseyi Ogunbajo, has urged the Police Service Commission and Inspector-General of Police to pay his withheld salary arrears.

    He said he obtained a judgment from the National Industrial Court in Lagos on June 30, 2021, compelling the Commission, the IG and the Commissioner of Police in Lagos to reinstate him and continue to pay his salaries stopped since October 2016.

    Through his lawyer, Tope Ashaolu, Ogunbajo had written the IG on November 1, 2022, to remind him of an earlier letter dated July 16, 2021, informing him of the existence of the judgment.

    “Since the letter, no action has been taken in respect of his matter and no communication was made to either our client directly or to his solicitor,” the lawyer wrote.

    The lawyer noted that the judgment declared that Ogunbajo’s enlistment in the police subsists and he should therefore be allowed to resume his normal duties.

    “Kindly compute the money due to him as salaries and entitlements based on his new rank of inspector from October 2016 to date.

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    “We also demand that effect be given to his new rank in compliance with the court order, having been promoted to the rank of Inspector since 2016,” Ashaolu added.

    Ogunbajo told The Nation that despite the letters, he has still not been paid to date.

    The policeman said he was enlisted in the force on December 1, 1999, with Force No. 211783 and was attached to the traffic division of the Lagos State Command.

    He said he was accused of being involved in a robbery, which he denied, and was subjected to an orderly room trial.

    However, he was never informed about the outcome of the trial but was merely asked to go home after prolonged incarceration.

    Ogunbajo said he was neither dismissed nor suspended, but his salary was eventually stopped.

    The court held that the stoppage of his salary was unlawful until his employment was legally and/or validly determined.

    Justice Ikechi Nweneka ordered that he be paid N2,105,000 as the arrears of his salaries from October 2016 to January 2020, his monthly salary being N52,601 per month.

    The court also ordered the respondents to give effect to Ogunbajo’s promotion from sergeant to inspector, having successfully passed a promotion interview.

    Despite the judgment, Ogunbajo told The Nation yesterday that he was yet to be paid his arrears or informed about his status.

    He urged the police hierarchy to look into his case.

  • Osun workers begin three-day warning strike over salary arrears

    Workers in Osun State, under the auspices of the Bureau of Labour, will today begin a three-day warning strike over salary arrears.

    According to a bulletin Number 25 circulated by the bureau, which comprises the Joint Negotiation Council (JNC), the Nigeria Labour Party (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC), the workers said they resolved to go on strike at a meeting they held yesterday.

    The workers are asking for the payment of the balance of their 34 months of 50 per cent for officers on Grade Level 08 and above, which they said is an equivalent of 17 months full salaries.

    Other demands include payment of 34 months pension arrears to retired workers, remittance of 34 months of contributory pension arrears, payment of outstanding gratuity to pensioners and payment of 2016 leaves allowance across board.

    The workers warned that if government fails to meet their demands within three days, they would yield to further directives from labour unions.

  • ‘Oyo needs over N1b to offset NASU members’ salary arrears’

    The Non-Academic Staff Union (NASU) at The Polytechnic Ibadan has said over N1 billion is needed to offset the eight-month salary arrears the state government owed its members in various higher institutions.

    The union said its members were dying in hospitals due to their inability to buy necessary drugs for their treatment.

    Declaring that it would not suspend the current indefinite strike until the state government offset the eight-month salary of its members, NASU urged stakeholders to prevail on the government to stop playing politics with the lives of its members.

    Last Wednesday, the union’s members at the institution declared an indefinite strike following the failure of the state government to offset its members’ eight-month salary arrears.

    NASU Chairman at The Polytechnic Ibadan, Comrade Ibrahim Akande, said it was unfortunate the government was shirking its responsibilities by reducing the monthly subventions to the six tertiary institutions belonging to the state government.

    The union leader noted that the reduction of the monthly subventions of the institution from 100 per cent to 25 per cent made it difficult for it to pay workers’ salary since 2016.

    He added that the increment in the subvention from 25 per cent to 36 per cent in July had not changed the situation.

    According to him, the management was still finding it difficult to pay salaries of the workers as at now.

    Addressing reporters after a congress of the union attended by members of the national body, Akande said: “It is unfortunate that the government is trying to shirk its responsibilities. In 2016, they reduced the subvention to the institution to 25 per cent. But as I talk to you, the subvention has been increased to 36 per cent. Despite that, the management and the governing council are still finding it difficult to pay salary, not to talk of payment of outstanding arrears, which is eight months.

    “Last week, the Commissioner for Education said the governing council and the management should look inward to offset the arrears. When there was a crisis, the government inaugurated the governing council, but it was not given money to offset the arrears…”

  • Court orders Daily Times to pay ex-workers N1.9m salary arrears

    The National Industrial Court in Lagos has ordered Daily Times of Nigeria Plc to pay two of its ex-workers, Uzuakpundu Nduka Patrick and Scott Babatunde, N1,900,000 as accumulated salary arrears.

    Justice Mustapha Tijani gave the order while delivering judgment in a suit filed by both defendants alleging wrongful dismissal.

    The N1.9m comprises N910,000 accumulated salary arrears and N40,000 as one month salary in lieu of notice of disengagement to each defendant.

    The judge held: “I am satisfied that the claimants have established their entitlement to the reliefs sought and, for the avoidance of doubt, it is hereby ordered that within 30 days the date of this judgment, the defendant shall: pay to each of the claimants the accumulated arrears of salaries between November 17, 2014 and August 12 2016, in the sum of N910, 000 only.

    “Pay to each of the claimants the sum of N40,000 being the one month salary in lieu of notice of disengagement as contained in the letter of offer of employment dated November 27, 2015.

    “Failure to comply with any of the above order shall attract an interest oi 10% per annum until the judgment sum is fully liquidated.”

    First and second claimants Patrick and Babatunde, both journalists, sued the company in 2017.

    They averred that they were employees of the defendant from November 17, 2014 until they were served letters of disengagement on August 12 and 11, 2016 respectively, though retrospectively dated August 4, 2016.

    They told the court that they were each appointed by the defendant as Copy Editors with a monthly total remuneration of N120, 000 each.

    They resumed duty on November 17, 2014, thus worked for two weeks in November 2014, but were subsequently each issued new letters of appointment as ‘Reporters’ on November 27, 2015 but with effect from December 1, 2015 on a total monthly remuneration of N40,000 each.

    They averred that all their efforts in making the defendant pay their outstanding arrears of salaries owed them proved abortive.

  • ‘Ortom has not asked us to forfeit salary arrears’

    •Governor dissolves exco

    Chairman of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) in Benue State, Comrade Aayan Godwin, has dismissed reports that Governor Samuel Ortom asked workers to forfeit their one-year salary arrears.

    Comrade Godwin told The Nation in a telephone interview that the government, either directly or indirectly, has not made such a request to the knowledge of the labour movement. He added that even if such a request was made, nobody would honour it.

    He, however, said the government owed workers between six and eleven for 2017, depending on the category of worker.

    The government has been paying promptly since January 2018.

    Godwin said: “There is nothing like that. What happened is that there was verification and the deputy governor headed the team conducting it.

    “At the end of the verification, there were some issues – there were many ghost workers and dead retirees on the salary list and the governor needed to implement the report. By that exercise, the wage bill was reduced.

    “The governor started implementing the report in January. Nobody has forfeited any salary; we are still discussing with him concerning the 2017 arrears.

    “Who is that person who will ask workers to forfeit their one-year? The governor has not even requested for that and even if he had done that, nobody will listen.

    “He started paying from January and is up to date on that. What is left is the arrears and we have met with him on that. We will meet with him again at the level of State Executive Council of the NLC so that he will address us on efforts he is making to clear the arrears.

    “At the state level, workers were paid last in June 2017, and the arrears are from July to December 2017, which is six months. For local government workers, he paid up to February 2017 and owes ten months, while for teachers, he paid last in January 2017 and owes them eleven months’. That is what he owes workers.”

    Governor Ortom has dissolved his executive council.

    A statement by the Secretary to the State Government, Tony Ijoho (SAN), directed  commissioners and Special Adviser affected by the dissolution to hand over to the next senior person in their offices.

    No reason was given for the dissolution but there have been rumours that Ortom and leader of All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state are at logger heads.

    It was gathered that there is an attempt to deny Ortom the governorship ticket for a second term.

    Four commissioners – Mike Gusah (AG); Dennis Ityavyar (Education); Bernard Unenge (Lands) and David Olufo (Finance); and six Special Advisers, were retained.

  • ‘Ortom didn’t ask us to forfeit salary arrears’

    •Governor partially dissolves exco

    Chairman of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) in Benue State, Comrade Aayan Godwin, has dismissed reports that Governor Samuel Ortom asked workers to forfeit their one-year salary arrears.

    Comrade Godwin told The Nation that the government, either directly or indirectly, has not made such a request to the knowledge of the labour movement. And even if such a request was made, nobody would honour it, he added.

    He, however, said the government owed workers between six and eleven months’ for 2017, depending on the category of worker.

    The government has been paying promptly since January 2018.

    Godwin said: “There is nothing like that. What happened is that there was verification and the deputy governor headed the team conducting it.

    “At the end of the verification, there were some issues – there were many ghost workers and dead retirees and the governor needed to correct the anomaly. By that exercise, the wage bill was reduced.

    “The governor started implementing the report in January. Nobody has forfeited any salary; we are still discussing with him concerning the 2017 arrears.

    “Who is that person who will ask workers to forfeit their one-year? The governor has not even requested for that and even if he had done that, nobody will listen.

    “He started paying from January and is up to date on that. What is left is the arrears and we have met with him on that. We will meet with him again at the level of State Executive Council of the NLC so that he will address us on efforts he is making to clear the arrears.

    “At the state level, workers were paid last in June 2017, and the arrears are from July to December 2017, which is six months. For local government workers, he paid up to February 2017 and owes ten months, while for teachers, he paid last in January 2017 and owes them eleven months’. That is what he owes workers.”

    Ortom yesterday  approved a partial dissolution of the State Executive Council.

    A statement by the Secretary to the State Government, Prof. Anthony Ijoho ( SAN), said four commissioners –  Michael Gusa (Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice);  Prof. Dennis Ityavyar (Commissioner for Education Science and Technology); David Olufu (Commissioner for Finance); Bernard Unenge (Lands, Survey and Solid Minerals) – retained their portfolios.

    Seven Special Advisers – Dr Magdalyne Dura (Development Cooperation, SDGs and NEPAD);  Matthew Mnyam (Education);  Chief Ode Enyi (Gender, Employment and Labour Matters); Thomas Anajav (Government House Administration); Tahav Agerzua (Media, Information and Technology); Lt.- Col. Paul Hemba (rtd) ( Security) and Joseph Odaudu (Special Duties) – also retained their portfolios.

    The statement said: “The partial dissolution of the council takes immediate effect and the outgoing members of council are to handover to their permanent secretaries or most senior director as the case may be.

    “The governor thanks the outgoing members of the executive council for their service to the state and wishes them well in their future endeavours.”

     

  • Workers’ strike: Assembly to meet governor over salary arrears

    Benue State House of Assembly, Speakers Terkimbi Ikyange, promised to meet with Governor Samuel Ortom on the salary arrears owed workers.

    He told organised labour that the workers will prevail on the governor to enure that something paid the workers to enable them suspend their industrial action.

    Ikyange, who stated this during an extraordinary legislative session with labour, appealed to the workers not to insist on the payment of four to five months before they suspend the strike.

    He explained that if they insist that unless four months of arrears of salaries must be paid before the strike would be suspended, it means that the state would require about N40billion to meet up with the demand of labour.

    The Speaker said the implication of asking government to borrow as a palliative measure to the problem of huge salary bill without tackling the problem from the source would be counterproductive.

    While expressing the resolve of the Assembly to assist in getting to the root of the high wage bill, the Speaker appealed to the Organised Labour to cooperate with the House in its efforts to ensure regular payment of salaries.

    Speaking, Chairman Benue State Chapter of the Nigeria Labour Congress, Mr. Godwin Anya, said that due to the hardship workers in the state were passing through, they have resolved that unless four to five months of arrears is paid before they would suspend the ongoing industrial action.

    Anya explained that the Organised Labour is equally worried about the huge wage bill, hence its decision to commission a committee to come up with the exact wage bill of the state, which he promised to make a copy available to the House for necessary action.

    The Special Adviser to the Governor on Bureau for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Mr. Titus Zam, and Chairman, State Universal Basic Education Board, Dr. Philip Tachin, yesterday also appeared before the House in plenary.

     

  • FG to commence payment of salary, promotion arrears of workers

    FG to commence payment of salary, promotion arrears of workers

    The Federal government is to commence the payment of salary arrears, promotion arrears and other entitlement of civil servants in the country on or before Wednesday, September 20, 2017 as a way of averting further strike by civil servants in the country.

    This was part of the four point agreement reached between the government and the Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria to avert the proposed strike action by the union.

    However, while the government says that union has agreed to temporarily suspend the strike till Wednesday, President of the union, Bobboi Kaigama said the union was only being proactive, pointing out that if they fail to commence payment on Wednesday, the strike action will begin.

    A communique signed at the end of the meeting by the Permanent Secretary in the Federal Ministry of Labour, Bolaji Adebiyi and National President of the Association, Bobboi Kaigama said a seven man committee is to be set up to monitor the implementation of the agreement.

    The communique reads: “Following the seven day ultimatum dated 8th September, 2017 issued by the Association of Senior Civil Servant of Nigeria on the issue of non-payment of salary arrears and other entitlements of public servants especially promotion arrears failing which the Association, propose to embark on an industrial action effective from Monday, 18th September, 2017, the Minister of Labour and Employment convened a conciliatory meeting on tuesday 12th September 2017.

    “Present at this meeting were all the 40 Chapter Chairmen of ASCSN branches and their Secretariat led by the President of ASCSN/TUC-Bobboi Bala Kaigama after an extensive deliberation on the issue of Public Servants unpaid promotion arrears and other entitlements.

    “At the end of the meeting, it was greed that Government will do all that is needed to ensure the commencement of payment of promotion arrears on or before Wednesday 20th September, 2017.

    “It was also agreed that the 30 Ministries, Department & Agencies (MDAs) that the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation (OAGF) reported that have been cleared whose payment bill amounts to 1.165billion naira should start to receive credit of payment by Wednesday 20th September, 2017.

    “The OAGF should provide the list of the 30 MDAs that have been cleared to the Honourable Minister of Labour and Employment and the Association by Wednesday, 13th September, 2017.

    “A seven man Committee to be chaired by the Permanent Secretary Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment composed of 3 members from the Association and 3 from Government side to midwife, fine tune and monitor the implementation of these decisions.”

    Addressing the union before the commencement of the meeting, Minister of Labour and Employment, Senator Chris Ngige restated the unflinching commitment of the Buhari administration to the welfare of workers.

    He said: “the arrears in question accumulated for up to a decade but the President very much concerned about the welfare of the citizens resolved to settle the backlog, knowing that government is also a continuum. This is a government that has the interest of workers at heart, the very reason we stoically refused to retrench any civil servant despite dwindling resources we met and worsened by the recession”.

  • ‘Fed Govt begins payment of N200b salary arrears, allowances’

    The Federal Government will this month begin payment of unpaid salary arrears and allowances of public servants

    Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria (ASCSN) President, Comrade Bobboi Kaigama, said the payment of the money, which is over N200 billion, excluding pension, would commence from this month.

    “Recently, we wrote a protest letter to the National Assembly and all the parties involved which include the organised labour, Head of Service, Labour Minister, Speaker of the House of Representatives and the Senate President.

    “The meeting was successful and I am happy to announce that the payment will commence as from this September.

    “I commend the National Assembly, most especially the Senate President for their timelyintervention,” Kaigama said.

    He, however, condemned the delay in the constitution of the 29-member National Minimum Wage Committee and warned the government not to stress the patience of workers beyond limit. He said the minimum wage implementation should be holistic and not selective.

    “You are aware that the issue of minimum wage is very topical. While there was a pronouncement to constitute the committee, they have requested for our list which we have send, therefore the committee need to be inaugurated so that the process can go on.

    “We condemned the delay to constitute the 29-member committee of National Minimum Wage for the country.

    “The Federal Government should not take the patience of workers beyond limit as the wage structure is no longer tenable when viewed against the economic reality on the ground,” Kaigama added.

  • Council workers urge Southwest governors to clear salary arrears

    The Southwest Zone of the Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE) yesterday urged the region’s governors to pay their outstanding salaries and allowances or face the wrath of its members.

    It also called for autonomy of local governments in the country.

    But the union hailed Lagos State for prompt payment of salaries and other allowances.

    Addressing reporters in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, the Zonal Chairman/National Vice President (Southwest) Comrade Oludare Famoofo said five other states in the zone were owing council workers from three to 12 months’ salaries.

    Famoofo said Oyo State was owing between three and 12 months salaries; Ekiti, 10 months; Ogun, five months; Ondo, six months and Osun is owing senior workers over 12 months’ salaries.

    Lagos got a clean bill of health.

    According to the union, while Oyo State is owing from five to 36 months of pensions, Ekiti is owing eight months; Ogun, two months and Ondo, seven months.

    On leave grants, Oyo is owing 24 to 28 months, Ekiti 36 months while Ogun is owing from year 2014 till date.

    Famoofo, who was with other members of the Zonal Executive, said the union would explore lawful means to seek the payment of all arrears and ensure prompt payment of salaries and allowances in future.

    The union leader urged the governors to use the next tranche of Paris Club refund to offset the salary arrears to prevent a breakdown of relationship between the union and the government.

    He said: “We call on Southwest state governments to demonstrate sincerity in addressing the plight of these workers. Our governors should, as a matter of urgent importance and in the spirit of good governance, use the next tranche of the London and Paris Club refunds to clear the backlog of arrears of salaries owed workers and pensioners of the local governments in the zone.”