By Ayodele Oni
Industrial crisis looms in Ekiti state as oganized labour gives the state governor, Dr Kayode Fayemi, fourteen days ultimatum to implement matters affecting workers welfare in the state. or face the wrath of workers.
This is part of resolutions reached at a meeting held in Ado Ekiti on Friday by the leadership of two industrial unions, Nigeria Labour Congress, (NLC) and Trade Union Congress, (TUC) with the Joint Negotiating Council, (JNC) of the unions.
In a letter addressed to the governor, and signed by the Chairmen and Secretaries of the unions, the labour leaders expressed concern over the lackadaisical attitude of government to the demands of the workers which had been communicated to the governor and top cabinet members through several letters.
Signatories to the letter are, Comrade Kolapo Joshua Olatunde, NLC Chairman, Comrade Sola Adigun, TUC Chairman, Comrade Kayode Fatomiluyi, JNC chairman, Comrade Gbenga Olowoyo, JNC Secretary, Comrade Kuloogun Lawrence, TUC Secretary, Comrade Taiwo and Akinyemi, NLC Secretary
“Your Excellency, It is with heavy heart that we considered it as a grave insensitivity and exclusion on the part of the state government to turn blind attention to various outstanding issues which we have highlighted in our not less than six letters to the State government with a particular reference to our recent letter dated 21st May 2020.
“Flowing from the above and for the purpose of clarity and emphasis, the leadership of the organized labour wish to highlight the outstanding workers welfare as follows:
“The organized labour considered it as not only sacrilegious but also unprecedented the non-implementation of financial benefits arising from the letters of promotion given to all deserving workers from years 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2019 and advancement.
“For the purpose of hindsight, successive governments in the State since the creation of Ekiti State in 1996 have been implementing promotions in a sequential order and as and when due, for instance and in order to refresh our memory various outstanding promotions for different years especially 2012, 2013 and 2014 were implemented without any denial.”
According to the workers, it is unacceptable for the state government to jetision the outstanding promotions for the years 2015, 2016 and 2017 and contemplate in the implementation of 2018 and 2019 only.
“Whereas some workers were appointed Permanent Secretaries and Executive Secretaries as a result of the above referred years while other workers were left to groan in pains and inflicted with pshycological paralysis.”
Other demands include, payment of six months gross salaries and six months deductions for local government workers and primary school teachers, the leave bonus for the years 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2020 to all deserving workers in the state and deductions such as cooperative societies bank loan repayment, union check off dues as well as special Hazard allowance for Health workers as a result of the ravaging COVID-19 Pandemic .
They stated that the demands should be implemented within the next 14 days with effect from Monday 20th July, after which the workers will embark on three days warning strike commencing in the mid-night of Monday 3rd August.
