All public offices in Edo State will be closed for normal official duties as from December 3, 2013, as the state chapter of the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, and the Trade Union Congress, TUC, embarks on an indefinite strike action over the state government’s refusal to meet their demands.
State chairman of the NLC, Mr. Emma Ademokun, who stated this in a communiqué after a meeting of the unions in Benin, had added that though it was overdue, the strike would commence in earnest as Governor Adams Oshiomhole appears to have mistaken Labour’s patience for granted.
He gave six reasons for the planned industrial action, for which he said the state government has been duly notified to include
immediate implementation of the pending salary relativity structure of 53.37 per cent for the state workers.
Other are the balance of 20 per cent of consolidated health salary structure for health workers in the state to be paid without further delay, and implementation of the balance 10.5 per
cent Teachers Special Allowance, TSA, as earlier agreed upon with the NLC.
He said the 2011, 2012 and 2013 promotion exercise of public servants of Edo and the constitution of the state civil service commission as other reasons for the strike.
Ademokun stressed the need for government to expedite action in engaging more hands to fill the numerous vacancies created by retirement in the state civil service, adding that the 21-days ultimatum for the issues to be resolved will expire on the 3rd of this month.
“But as I speak with you, government didn’t make any attempt at addressing these issues. He, the governor, had called for a meeting of the unions on four occasions and on each occasions, he kept us waiting for hours only to send someone to
tell us that he was busy”.
The NLC chairman said, “This strike action would have preceded his re-election bid but he pleaded with us to allow the election to be over”.
“Our problem with him is that since his re-election, the governor has made the NLC his number one enemy. All he does is to intimidate and harass us. Edo State workers are the least paid in the whole of South South and in the APC controlled states”.
He added, “For long, we have been labeled as “sold out” not knowing that we were only keeping quiet because he is from our constituency. Since he does not see us as one, we have decided that this strike will be total.”
Ademokun said all public offices, including the health sector will be shot down indefinitely starting from Tuesday the 3rd of December until all the contending issues are resolved.
Meanwhile, the Special Adviser to the governor on Media, Mr. Kassim Afegbua, says the workers should appreciate the governor for ensuring that salaries are paid as at when due.