NLC, TUC, JNC give KWSG Friday ultimatum over unpaid salaries

*Be patient, Gov Ahmed tells workers

The Nigeria Labour Congress, Trade Union Congress and Joint Negotiation Council under the auspices of the Kwara Joint Labour Congress on Tuesday gave the state government Friday ultimatum over the unpaid salaries of workers.

The congress in a 6-paragrah letter dated August 4, 2015, and addressed to the state Governor, Alhaji Abdulfatah Ahmed, said it should not be held responsible for any action taken by the state workers if their salaries were not paid by Friday.

The letter was jointly signed by the Chairman of NLC, Comrade Yekini Kareem Agunbiade, Chairman TUC, Comrade Olumoh Kolawole Nasir and the Chairman of JNC, Kehinde M. Kolawole.

The letter with the heading: ‘Demand for the immediate payment of all outstanding salaries of the Kwara State public Service workers’, reads ‘’ We have been directed to convey to Your Excellency, the outcome of the emergency meeting of the leadership of the labour movements in Kwara State held today, Tuesday 4th August, 2015 at the Labour House, Ilorin to discuss issues germane to workers’ welfare.

“The meeting in-session noted the issue of salary payment by the state Government is no longer what it used to be in the past before the general elections in April, 2015 (i.e payment of workers’ salary on 25th of every month).

‘’That despite the Labour movements industrial peace and harmony posture to the state government on workers’ welfare after the general election, the state government has not been able to appreciate this gesture and had put the workers through untold hardship by not paying salary as at when due.

‘’The meeting in-session also observed with utmost dismay that despite our efforts to resolve the issue of Zenith Bank shares and other outstanding workers’ problem, the state government had refused to amicably resolve the issues but complicating them the issue of non-payment of salary.

“The meeting in session based on the aforementioned, resolved that the state Government should pay all outstanding salaries of the public services workers, i.e. core- service workers, parastatals, Local Government workers, Pensioners, SUBEB, TESCOM, and all other state government owned Tertiary institutions without further delay, as the Leadership of the Labour Movement in the state should not be held responsible for whatever action(s) the workers may wish to take if the salaries are not paid by Friday 7th August, 2015."

Also, the state’s Chairman of NLC, Comrade Yekini Agunbiade in a telephone interview on Wednesday with National Pilot, said members of the union will stage a protest if their salaries were not paid tomorrow.

When contacted yesterday, the Senior Special Assistant on Media to the governor, Dr. Nurudeen Akorede, said he was not aware of the labour unions’ ultimatum to the governor.

However, he pleaded with the unions to exercise patience, adding that the governor held workers in a very high esteem and that he had not kept them in dark over the financial status of the state.

A statement exclusively issued to this medium said: ‘’ I am unaware of the ultimatum. However, His Excellency, Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed has always kept labour leaders informed of the financial situation regarding salaries.

‘’Governor Ahmed empathises with workers on the delay in salaries. Under his watch, we have managed to avoid the fate of others states which are months in arrears. However, we are all aware that this is due to reduced allocation to all levels of government.

‘’Governor Ahmed hopes that labour leaders and workers will remain patient as he works hard to pay workers. A strike cannot apply here because it's not like the money is available and government is refusing to pay’’.