Ondo: Workers end one month strike, sign agreement with government
The one-month-old strike embarked upon by workers in Ondo state has been suspended.
This followed an agreement the state’s labour leaders reached with the government, Thursday night.
The workers had embarked on the strike following the government’s inability to pay them up to six months salaries.
Both parties finally reached an agreement after four days of meeting.
They agreed:
“that January 2016 salary be immediately paid in full to all staff in mainstream, Parastatals, HMB, TESCOM and State Pensioners while all local government staff and primary school teachers including their pensioners be paid February 2016 in full.
“That in addition to above, March 2016 salary be immediately paid in full to primary school teachers and local government staff on level 1-10 in view of the fact that the available funds cannot pay all categories of workers at that sector.
“That February 2016 salary be further paid in full to health workers in HMB; that Judiciary workers be paid two months’ salary January and February 2016 in full; that the State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission (OSOPADEC) be paid February to April in full.
“That all outstanding arrears of salaries and pensions be offset as a matter of priority from refunds and reimbursement embloc; that subsequent salaries should be met as number one priority from Internal Generated Revenue (IGR), statutory allocations, budget support, loans, refunds, and reimbursement.
“That government should agree in principle to buyback all outstanding corporate/individual loans of workers on compilation of details by labour.
“In view of this, a seven-man committee has been constituted comprising representatives of the organised Labour and government to negotiate with the affected banks.
“That government should set up efforts efforts towards increasing its Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) to complement its dwindling allocations from federation accounts as a way of meeting its financial obligations, especially in prompt salary payment.
“That no worker should be victimized, retrenched or retired on account of any of the strike action and government should progressively interface with the organised labour regarding the implementation of of this agreement and other matters incidental thereto.”.
