By Ayodele Oni
Civil Servants in Ondo State will as from November receive additional ₦35,000 each described as wage award by the state government to cushion effects of subsidy withdrawal of petrol.
According to Sina Adeyeye, media officer at the office of the Head of Service, also to benefit are pensioners who are already receiving additional ₦10,000 along with their regular entitlements.
The Ondo State State Government assured that arrangements have been concluded to commence the payment as announced by the Federal Government to its workers.
Head of Service, Kayode Ogundele announced this at the monthly meeting between government and the leadership of labour to deliberate on receipts from the federal allocation.
The Head of Service disclosed that workers would begin to receive the wage award along side their November salary, adding that it would be paid for the period of six months.
While restating the commitment of the Ondo State Government to the well being of its workforce, Ogundele recalled the state has provided buses to commute workers to and from work to assuage the hardship occasioned by the fuel subsidy removal.
According to him, other measures put in place as palliative measures would continue to run concurrently with the payment of wage award until a lasting solution is found to the current economic situation in the country.
He added that arrangement was almost completed to capture pensioners into the state’s health insurance scheme, which workers are currently enjoying, noting that medicals formed the major expenses of most of the retirees.
He therefore urged workers to reciprocate the gesture by re dedicating themselves to excellent service, while the union leadership should sustain the atmosphere of constructive engagement that is currently being adopted.
The state chairmen of the Nigeria Labour Congress, (NLC) Victor Amoko, the Trade Union Congress, (TUC), Clement Fatukasi and Joint Negotiation Committee,(JNC) Ademola Olapade, lauded the state government for listening to the yearnings of workers, particularly setting the pace in the south western states and some other parts of the country.
They however urged government not to relent in its efforts to bring succour to the workers and retirees as the current economic situation in the country has rendered the current salaries of workers inadequate to meet their basic needs.
Earlier, the state Accountant General of the state, Mrs Toyin Oni, had presented before the meeting, the receipt from FAAC and the proposed disbursement template as it has been the routine since the inception of Governor Akeredolu’s administration.
