By Daud Olatunji

ABEOKUTA—The organised labour in Ogun State, yesterday, suspended the 14-day strike action after signing a Memorandum of Understanding with the State government.

The National President of Nigeria Labour Congress Ayuba Wabba in the presence of other national leaders of the organised labour made the pronouncement at the Labour Congress Secretariat, Abiola way, Abeokuta, shortly after they held a 10-hour closed door meeting with the officials of the State government.

Governor of Ogun State, Senator Ibikunle Amosun

Earlier, the Ogun State government and the leadership of the organised labour in the state have signed a Memorandum of Understanding on the modalities of payment of workers’ deduction, check-off dues and gratuities among others.

Both the state government and the organised labour held a close-door meeting that lasted for almost 10 hours, yesterday, at the governor’s office, Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta and came up with eight-point resolution.

The resolution which was signed by Head of Service Olushola Adeyemi and Permanent Secretary Bureau of Establishment and training, Mrs. M .T. O Dosunmu on behalf of the government while the State Chairman of Joint Negotiating Council, Biodun Olakanmi, state Chairman, Nigeria Labour Congress, Akeem Ambali and chairman trade Union Congress Bunmi Fajobi signed on behalf of the workers in the State.

The meeting which also had in attendance as observers apart from Wabba, include national Presidents of Trade Union Congress, Boboi Kaigama, his counterpart in Joint Public Service Negotiating Council , National Union of Local Government Employees Khaleel Ibrahim and National Association of Nigerian Nurses and Midwives Rafiu Adeniji.

Olakanmi who read the resolution to the newsmen said: “The state government should pay global deduction with November 2016 salary and release global deduction every ninety days an as soon as bullet payment is received from the Federal government and the state revenue improves outstanding deduction shall be paid on or before May, 2017.

“Immediate offset of one year arrears ff check of dues. The 2015 promotion result to be released immediately. A joint committee on both government and labour should be set up to look into the issues of the officers that have completed loan payments and whose money are still being deducted.”

Also, officers that have completed loan repayment should be allowed to exit from the cooperatives societies.
“Towards promoting industrial harmony, there should be instituted a quarterly meeting between the government and labour.
“Consequent upon the above, the two sides agreed that the ongoing strike action should be suspended and no worker will be victimized of the strike action”.

The Labour leaders having left the governor’s office went to meet their members at the Labour secretariat in Abeokuta where they announced the suspension of the strike.

While announcing the suspension of the strike, the national President of NLC who was flanked by other national leaders of the organised labour ordered all the public workers to resume at their duty posts today (Thursday).

Meanwhile, there was drama at the governor’s office over alleged missing of a point which the Labour leaders claimed was part of the agreement but, suddenly disappeared.

Amosun reacts
Addressing newsmen after the meeting , the state governor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun lamented that the 14 days strike has crippled the economy.

Amosun who was flanked by the labour leaders at his office, declared that the strike had made it difficult for him to pay October salary.

He however, refused to pardon the sacked workers, saying, the workers’ action infuriated him.

According to him, lessons have been learnt and this is the second time that something of this nature will happen, but I pray that this should be the last time we would be in the media for any wrong thing.

“But am happy that the labour leaders are here and they know that there are two issues at hand and the first, which is structure, is the agitation that we are owing and have shown them figures and figure does not lie. For instance, what we get from the federal government is about N600 million and have shown them what we pay now and what we use to pay in 2011 when we came on board and the difference is about N7 billion and we have been paying it but when there are issues all of us must know that these are issues.

“We have 36 states in the country and I made bold to say as worst as it is we are second to none. I have told them on my honour that all of those issues we would keep to it, and whatever we say we would do, we would do it and we have been doing it .

“Indeed, I pray that even before I leave as governor in Ogun state we would be able to say that our civil servants are getting more money to what they have been taking before now.
“And clearly we should not mix what we are doing with politics and that is what got me so infuriated.
“As a governor I have sworn that, I will do the best for Ogun people even if it has to do with us having sleepless nights. We would do it and we have been doing that and we would continue to do that”, he said .