Pay Us Our Outstanding Salaries, Gratuities Before You Leave, NLC Tells Fayose

Pay Us Our Outstanding Salaries, Gratuities Before You Leave, NLC Tells Fayose

The Ekiti State council of the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC)on Sunday urged the state government led by Governor Ayodele Fayose to look for an alternative way to offset backlog of salaries, pension and gratuities before leaving office in October this year.

The union said the decision was taken at the NLC’s State Executive Council Meeting held in Ado Ekiti at the weekend and contained in a statement signed by its Chairman, Com. Ade Adesanmi made available to journalists in Ado Ekiti.

The labour union also told Governor Ayodele Fayose to henceforth be prepared to pay two- month salaries and pension per month till the expiration of his tenure in October, saying they would no longer tolerate payment of one salary per month.

NLC added that workers are beginning to be hopeless about the possibility of Governor Fayose, whose tenure is gradually winding up to be able to defray backlog of salaries and pension as well as gratuities owed the state  workers.

It said recent development has shown  that the government might renege in its earlier promise that it will not leave office a debtor of salaries.

Adesanmi said the labour union was finding it extremely difficult to convince the workers that the present government would adhere strictly to its promise to pay up before the Governor –elect, Dr Kayode Fayemi takes over on October 16, 2018.

Adesanmi pleaded with stakeholders not to read any political moves to this action, assuring that workers in the state remain apolitical and won’t shy away from ensuring that the welfare of members are treated with priority.

He said: “The Ekiti State Government appeared not to be ready to fulfill its pledge of defraying the longstanding gratuity, pension, salaries and deductions for workers before the end of the tenure of the present government.

“That the situation about the outstanding salaries is even worse with the local government workers and primary school teachers in the state.

“That the situation has reached an unbearable level with workers of Ekiti State as thereby put the name and integrity of the labour leaders at stake hence, they could not stand and fold their arms.

“With just two months left behind for this government to finish its tenure, workers of Ekiti State are now hopeless about the payment of the outstanding of salaries , pension, gratuity and deductions owed by the state government more so that there are no convincing strategies in place to fulfill the promise that this administration will not leave as a debtor.”