By Daud Olatunji

ABEOKUTA—As the strike action embarked on by the workers in Ogun State entered the fourth day, yesterday, the organised labour leaders said they are prepared to face any consequence including being arrested and detained to achieve their agitations.

The workers stated this during a mega rally held at the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) secretariat,along Abiola way in Abeokuta, vowing to embark on a peaceful protest to the State Secretariat next Monday to press home their demands.

While addressing hundreds of civil servants,who attended the mega rally, both the chairmen of the NLC, Comrade Akeem Ambali and Joint National Public Service Negotiating Council,Comrade Abiodun Olakanmi, described the’ no work no pay’ threat by the state government as a mere fallacy.

The Secretary to the State Government, Taiwo Adeoluwa, had on Tuesday, said government might consider the option of ‘no work no pay’ rule if the workers refuse to return to work.

Ambali  described the opening of attendance register for workers during the strike by the government as illegal , threatening, “on Monday all of us will march to Oke -Mosan, if he likes let him bring one million police or soldiers, we are going to go force to force.

“If he arrests us today, we are ready to go to cell, we are not afraid of detention.

“The issue of saying they have opened registers is illegal. The Secretary to the State Government has not called us for dialogue. The government should have the political to invite us. If they invite today, we are going to dialogue with them.

“We will not allow what is happening to workers in Osun State to happen in Ogun state.”

In his remarks, Olakanmi  said government should reverse the ‘no work no pay’ to ‘no pay no work’ ,explaining that the workers are not demanding for increase in wage,but were only demanding the unremitted deductions made from their salary.

He said, “We are not asking for any addition to our salary, all we are asking is for government to pay the unremitted deductions made from our salary.

“What we are asking for is the payment of gratuities, and pension. And until they pay all deductions, the strike continues. It is no pay no work. Their no pay no work is a fallacy.”