Strong indications emerged over the weekend in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital, that the leadership of the state’s workers may call out its members on another round of work boycott following the failure of government and leadership of the unions to reach an acceptable ground over workers’ demands. The decision of the workers to go on another indefinite strike may also not be unconnected with the labour leaders’ insistence that government should stop further deductions of workers’ salaries under the Contributory Pension Scheme in which Ogun State Government maintained that such is a statutory function.

It was gathered that the final decision by the state workforce either to or not to embark on another strike will be taken today during the expanded State Executive meeting of the organised labour in Ogun Sate which is expected to hold at the state secretariat of the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC. National Mirror recalled that the state government had last week, met with the leadership of the labour unions with the possibilities of finding lasting solutions to the three issues raised by the state workers which bothered on unremitted salary deductions, payment of gratuities as well as the issue of 68 months unremitted contributory pension.

At the meeting, which had in attendance, the state deputy chairman of the NLC, Dare Ilekoya; that of the Trade Union Congress, TUC, Olubunmi Fajobi, the state chairman of the Joint National Public Service Negotiating Council, JNC, Abiodun Olakanmi among others and chaired by the state’s deputy governor, Chief (Mrs.) Yetunde Onanuga, both parties agreed that they would report back to their respective constituencies on labour’s demands and government’s positions. Addressing journalists at the end of their meeting, the labour leaders vowed that they would not entertain anything lesser from the state government should it continue with the Contributory Pension Scheme deduction.

Fajobi, who spoke with journalists, said since the state government has violated the statutory provision for the Contributory Pension Scheme and rendered it non-functional since the past 68 months, further deductions, should be halted forthwith. The TUC state chairman also demanded that government should allow whoever among the workers that wants to quit its membership or reduce its contribution to the workers’ cooperative societies to do so without being coerced; stressing that workers in the state would not take anything less. Responding to the workers’ demand however, Secretary to the State Government, SSG, Mr Taiwo Adeoluwa, told the labour leaders that the state would not be part of any illegality as to halt further deductions under the Contributory Pension Scheme.

Adeoluwa further declared that the labour movement would need the Ogun State House of Assembly, OGHA, to repel the law establishing the Contributory Pension Scheme before government could stop further deductions. The SSG, however, urged leadership of the agitating labour movement in the state to instruct their members to comply with the Federal Government’s directive on the Bank Verification Number, BVN, stressing that salaries in Ogun would henceforth be paid with the BVN. Leadership of the labour union in Ogun State is however, expected to resume their negotiation with government anytime from tomorrow Tuesday after both parties must have “briefed their principals”. (National Mirror)

•Photo shows Ogun Deputy Governor Yetunde Onanuga.

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