By: Oluwatosin Adesola
The State Executive and Administrative Councils of the Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC), Ondo State Chapter has vowed that the state workers will no henceforth accept percentage salaries due to untold hardship they are going through amidst high prices of essential commodities.
The state leadership of TUC also charged Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu to immediately retool the finances of the state government to enable his administration settle salary arrears of workers from March, 2021 to date.
This is contained in a Communique issued at the end of the emergency Meeting Of TUC SEC and SAC held in Akure.
The labour Union empathized with workers on the current economic situation in the country especially the astronomical increase in the prices of food and other essential items.
The TUC leadership which commended the Ondo State Health insurance scheme, however called on the state government not to commence its implementation until all issues surrounding it like amount deductible, coverage areas of the scheme and until when arrears of salaries are fully paid and government resumes 100 percent salaries payment.
Below is the full text of the communique;
BEING THE COMMUNIQUE OF THE EMMERGENCY MEETING OF THE STATE EXECUTIVE AND ADMINISTRATIVE COUNCIL OF THE TRADE UNION CONGRESS OF NIGERIA, ONDO STATE HELD ON THURSDAY, 24TH JUNE 2021 AT THE CONGRESS SECRETARIAT, ALAGBAKA, AKURE.
The State Executive and Administrative Councils of the Trade Union Congress of Nigeria, Ondo State met on Thursday, 24th June 2021 and extensively deliberated on a number of issues ranging from the percentage payment of workers’ salaries; the implementation of Ondo State Contributory Health Insurance Scheme; and the Non-capturing of secondary school teachers by the Federal Mortgage Bank etc and resolved as follows:
1. The Council expressed satisfaction with the disposition of Ondo State Government to the various ongoing capital projects in the state.
2. The SAC and SEC in-session empathised with workers on the current economic situation in the country especially the astronomical increase in the prices of food items.
3. Having carefully examined the plethora of concerns of workers on percentage payment of salaries by the state government especially at this critical time, and with the ever rising prices of food items, drugs and medication, and other basic amenities of life, which are no longer within the reach of ordinary Nigerians, the council therefore calls on the state government to re-engineer its finances to offset the four months arrears of workers salaries and halt any further percentage payment of workers’ salaries as workers will no longer accept any form of percentage payment of their monthly salaries henceforth.
5. The council embraces the Ondo State Health insurance scheme as laudable but calls on the state government not to commence its implementation until all issues surrounding it, eg, amount deductible, coverage areas of the scheme etc and arrears of salaries are fully paid and government resumes 100 percent payment of monthly salaries.
6. The council resolved to invite the leadership of the Federal Mortgage bank for a meeting to know why secondary school teachers are yet to join the National housing scheme.
