Ogun Workers Call Off Strike As Abiodun Earmarks N500m To Clear Gratuities

Workers in Ogun State on Friday afternoon called off their warning strike following the agreement reached with the organised labour by the state government to address their demands bordering on minimum wage, payment of gratuity among others.

The warning strike started on Wednesday this week.

The chairman of Nigeria Labour Congress(NLC), Ogun state chapetr, Emmanuel Bankole, who announced this at the Oke – Mosan Governor’s Office after a prolonged meeting with labour leaders and officials of the state government called on the workers to return to their duty post immediately

Bankole said the strike was called off following a memorandum of understanding on the on the agreements reached at the meeting between both parties.

The agreement was signed by Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Mr. Olatokunbo Talabi;

Chairman, Joint Negotiation Council(JNC), Comrade Olanrewaju Folorunso, chairman of the state chapter of NLC, Emmanuel Bankole and Chief of Staff to Governor Dapo Abiodun, Salisu Shuaibu.

Others are: Comrade Akeem Lasisi (Vice Chairman, Trade Union Congress TUC); Head of Service, Alhaja Olapeju Ottun; Commissioner for Finance and Chief Economic Adviser, Mr. Dapo Okubadejo; Comrade Olusegun Adebiyi, Secretary, JNC and two others.

Reading the terms of the MOU, Bankole said: “Consequent upon the declaration of a Trade Dispute by the Organized Labour in the State on some issues affecting the welfare of workers, the State Government led by the Secretary to the State Government held series of meetings with the Organized Labour between Monday, 14th and Friday, 18th September, 2020.

“At the meetings, all the issues requested for ranging from the proposed 2020 Pension Amendment Bill, Leave Bonus Allowance, Outstanding Promotions (years 2018, 2019 and 2020), Implementation of the signed New Minimum Wage, Payment of Gratuity and Payment of Gross Salary were discussed extensively.

“The meeting acknowledged the willingness of the State Government to meet the requests and thereby considered thoroughly the affordability and sustainability on the part of the State Government towards accommodating the resultant increments on the present financial standing of the State.

“After extensive deliberations on each of the request, the meeting unanimously resolved as follows;

“Implementation of the Signed New Minimum Wage: the State Government agreed to commence implementation effective from October, 2020;

“Payment of Gratuity: The State Government agreed to earmark the sum of N500,000,000.00 for the clearance of Gratuity on quarterly basis while payment would commence latest by January 2021.

“Outstanding Promotions (years 2018, 2019 and 2020): The Ogun State Government agreed to commence the process of the outstanding 2018, 2019 and 2020 Promotion Exercise with immediate effect.

”The meeting agreed to suspend actions on the proposed Year 2020 Pension Amendment Bill with the plan to constitute a Committee comprising both representatives of Government and Labour to take an in-depth look into the issue;

“Review of other demands: The meeting also agreed that other demands by Organized Labour would be subjects of joint reviews, the first of which will be in March 2021.

“The Labour team will make an immediate public pronouncement to call off the strike action. The labour team appreciates the commitment of the government to sustain the payment of Gross Salary henceforth.

”No reprisal of any kind will be meted on any person(s) for his/her role(s) in the just-concluded resolution of this industrial action.

It is, however, the hope of the State Government that the entire workers in the State will reciprocate the good gestures of the Government with continued dedications, loyalty and efficiency in the discharge of their duties.

“Leave Bonus Allowance: The meeting resolved that the payment of the year 2019 Leave Bonus will be staggered over a period of one year (Grade Level 01 to 06 in October 2020, Grade Level 07 to 13 in December 2020 and Grade Level 14 and above March 2021) while other outstandings (2015 to 2018) would be offset with time/

“Payment of Gross Salary: The State Government agreed to henceforth pay the Gross Salaries to workers in the state.”