Workers in Ogun begin 3-day warning strike over N2.8bn deductions

The Joint National Public Service Ne­gotiating Council has directed pub­lic servants in Ogun State to embark on a three-day strike from today over the alleged failure of the gov­ernment to remit about N2.8billion deducted from their salaries to the appro­priate agencies.

The JNC, however, said it had agreed to defer further negotiations on outstanding non-remitted Contributory Pension Fund deductions until after the general elec­tions.

JNC Secretary, Modiu Bello said the council was constrained to embark on the strike following the fail­ure of all known channels of negotiation/dialogue to get the N700million deducted monthly from the workers’ salaries for four months re­mitted to the appropriate agencies.

The council said the three-day warning strike by public servants in the state was to “drive home their de­mands” for the remittance of the four-month deductions made from their October, November, December and January salaries.

The JNC, therefore, di­rected all public servants in the state to stay away from their duty posts from Tues­day, 10 and Thursday 12, 2015.

Bello said: “Sequel to the refusal of the state govern­ment to accede to the de­mand of workers in the state public service over the un­paid four months deductions made from their salaries of October, November, Decem­ber 2014 and January 2015, the Joint National Public Service Negotiating Coun­cil, (JNC) on behalf of the state public servants hereby, issue a 3-day warning strike effective from Tuesday 10 to Thursday 12, 2015 to drive home their demand.

“The JNC is constrained to take this action since all known channels of nego­tiation/dialogue have proved abortive.

At a meeting held on Friday, February 20, 2015, government officials in­formed labour of plans to pay two months deduc­tions in addition to Febru­ary 2015 salaries owing to paucity of funds.

“Labour, however, in­sisted that the arrears of deductions covering the mentioned months be fully offset before the payment of February 2015 salary to ameliorate the sufferings of workers in the state, who continue to find it in­creasingly difficult to meet their basic family needs given that the objective of subscribing to some of these savings have been defeated arising from the unpaid deductions. The government, however, re­neged on her own position and did not accede to the demand of labour.

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