After Waba’s Mediation, Ogun Workers Suspend Industrial Action

Posted by African Examiner Featured, Latest Headlines, News Thursday, November 3rd, 2016

By Funmilayo Omidiji

OGUN, NIGERIA (AFRICAN EXAMINER) – After signing Memoradum of Understanding (MoU) with the State government, the Ogun State public servants have suspended their two weeks industrial action.

The MoU which was signed by the State’s Head of Service, Olusola Adeyemi, Permanent Secretary, Bureau of Establishment and Training, Mrs. M.T. Dosunmu and the Ogun State Labour leaders led by the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) National President, Comrade Ayuba Waba, touched on areas such as modalities for the payment of unremitted workers’ cooperative deductions and union check off dues.

Mr. Biodun Olakanmi of the Joint Public Service Negotiating Council, who read the MoU to the journalists at the Governor’s office, Oke Mosan in Abeokuta, the State’s capital Wednesday, announced that it was agreed that the State government should pay global deductions with the November 2016 salary and release deductions every 90 days.

“It was also agreed that as soon as the bullet payment is received from the Federal Government and the state revenue improves, outstanding deductions shall be paid on or before May 2017’’ Mr. Olasunkami indicated.

He added it was agreed on the immediate offset of one-year arrears of check-off dues, the outstanding gratuities would be offset with N200m every other month effective from November 2016.

The officer also said it was agreed that a joint committee for both government and labour should be constituted to look into the issues of the Contributory Pension Scheme and submit the report to the government within 90 days.

In addition, it was agreed that the 2015 promotion result should be released immediately.

The labour and government also agreed, that another joint committee should be set up to look into the issues relating to the officers who have completed loan payments and whose money were still being deducted.

Also identified were issues relating to “Officers that have completed loan repayment should be allowed to exit from the cooperative societies’’.

As a way to promote regular industrial harmony, the MoU agreed that there should be an instituted quarterly meeting between the government and labour.

Meanwhile, the State government is still silent on the fate of the dismissed and suspended labour union leaders.

Governor Ibikunle Amosu said the dismissal and suspension issues did not feature in the decisive meeting, still gave hope that the matter was a family issue, therefore, would be resolved.

A total of 16 Labour leaders including the State NLC Chairman, Comrade Akeem Ambali were dismissed late Monday, while another 18 were suspended from the service.