As the Yuletide draws nigh, Ogun State civil servants have lamented the non-payment of their November salary by the governor Dapo Abiodun-led government.
The concerned workers, in a statement issued on Tuesday through the organised labour in the state, decried the recently introduced staggered salary payment model, noting that they are yet to receive their November pay in December.
The statement jointly signed by the Joint Negotiating Council (JNC) chairman, Isa Olude and secretary, Oloyede Olayemi read in part, “Incidence of staggered salary payment of the Ogun State Civil/Public Service workforce, obviously, is at its climax. For a long time to come, November 2022 will remain indelible in our memories. Days in the Gregorian November have taken on new numbers 35th, 40th, 49th.”
Thw government workers through organised labour threatened to embark on strike to press home for their demands over five months of unpaid salary and arrears, in June 2022.
However, the workers wondered why Abiodun’s government would refuse to meet and engage the labour movement in the state even after its initial 21 days of warning strike.
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“It is unexplainable why the government will be holding 21 months deductions, what it translates to, is that, the government is owing Ogun State workers five months salary and we must put a stop to that,” Emmanuel Bankole, the Chairman of NLC in Ogun had told journalists.
Further in their statement, the leadership of the workers bemoaned the “staggering of payment” of salary since the month of July by Abiodun’s government, noting that their silence over the unpaid salary does not mean they have resorted to fate.
“Not that the Labour leadership had resigned to fate. Not at all. Sustained intense pressure with disguised threats of industrial disruption had all been deployed.
“A letter detailing assessment and performance of the 29th June 2022 Memorandum of Action was sent to the State Government precisely on 2nd November 2022. Staggered payment of salary, which as observed, began with July salary, was inclusive,” the statement added.
It further disclosed that each time “we reached out to the state government, counting up to no less than six times,” the authority continuously dissipated so much energy to dissuade the state-organised labour from mobilising the state government employees against their agonising experience.
Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Kunle Somorin, however, denied the workers’ claims.
He asserted that civil servants in the state had been paid their November salary, adding that the government was already processing the December pay.
“They (civil servants) have been paid. I’m also a worker in Ogun, and I have received my salary, even the December salary would be paid anytime from now.” He said in an interview with People’s Gazette.
