Ajimobi/NLC disagree over unpaid salaries

GBENRO ADESINA/IBADAN

Oyo State Government has advised labour leaders in the state to embrace dialogue and consultation instead of issuing threats and ultimatum of strike, as stakeholders brainstorm on how to bail the state out of its financial predicament.
This advice which was given by the leader of the government representatives in the ongoing dialogue with labour, Mr. Ismael Olalekan Alli, who is a former Secretary to the state government was contained in a statement issued Saturday by Yomi Layinka, the Senior Adviser on Communication to the governor.
He, however, said that the labour leaders used the opportunity of a meeting with the government representatives to apologise to the Governor, Senator Abiola Ajimobi, on Friday, having realized that they acted contrary to the letter and spirit of a subsisting agreement.
The labour leaders had on Tuesday issued a seven-day ultimatum to the government within when they said the governor should meet with the workers’ representatives and fashion out modalities of defraying the five-month arrears of salaries owed workers.
Alli said, “At the meeting (on Friday) the state government reaffirmed its compliance with the subsisting agreement with labour whereby 90 per cent of allocation from the Federation Account is devoted to payment of salaries and wages of workers on monthly basis.
The government also observed that the present conduct of labour is at variance and in total disregard for due process, labour law and practice. In view of the foregoing the government believes that the labour unions are being insensitive and confrontational. However, the labour leaders denied the allegations and apologized accordingly. It further assured the government of its cooperation and maintenance of industrial harmony in the state.
The former SSG said that the apology has been accepted by the government and the governor has consequently directed that the subsisting agreement be adhered to pending the exploration by the government and labour of further avenues to improve the revenue of the state.
According to him, the labour leaders painstakingly explained and apologized for the misunderstanding occasioned by their ultimatum, denying any attempt to ridicule the governor or imperil the pervading industrial harmony in the state.
He said that both parties agreed to explore regular consultations, dialogue and due process as they jointly seek solutions to the poor position of the state’s finance, which was blamed for the five-month salary arrears owed the workers.
Meanwhile, he disclosed that a consultative committee comprising labour headed by Waheed Olojede, the state Chairman of Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), and government representatives has been set up to harmonise the current available revenue allocation and to recommend the best way forward in the face of the state’s dwindling revenue.
Alli said that the Friday meeting reached a consensus that the 10-month-old agreement between labour and government subsists and that the government had no intention of reneging on any term of the said agreement.
In the spirit of collective responsibility, he stated that both parties also agreed to collaborate and evolve ways of blocking all financial leakages in the system with a view to improving the internally generated revenue of the state.
Alli said that “all financial leakages need to be jointly and urgently plugged by employing strategies including elimination of ghost workers from the salary bill of our workers as well as identification, arrest and prosecution of fraudsters within the system. A more positive and creative disposition is critical for turning around these times of adversity. It was resolved that all concerned should have learnt some lessons after this brief period of unnecessary and avoidable altercation.”
In a swift reaction, Olojede, disagreed that both parties have agreed that the 10-month old agreement subsisted, saying that the agreement is subject to review from time to time.
According to him, “The last paragraph of the agreement stated that the Memorandum Of Understanding was subject to review from time to time at regular meetings. This is why we issued an ultimatum for a meeting between the government to review the agreement in line with the prevailing economic situation and the dwindling federal allocation to the state.”
Olojede also denied that the union at any time apologised to the state government over the matter, stressing that the ultimatum issued to the government was a tool of industrial practices.
He said, “The claim by government that labour has agreed to the 10-month MoU as subsisting was false. I wish to state that much as another round of negotiation between government and labour has commenced, it has negated the one under reference. Those claims by government are cheap blackmail that we will not accept.”