Governor Aregbesola’s Deception Forces Osun Workers To Resume Strike

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) leadership in Osun State has directed workers in the state to resume the industrial action that was suspended on Monday evening following perceived deception by the Governor Rauf Aregbesola-led administration.

Workers in the state who are owed about seven months salaries had suspended their month-old strike after signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the state government, detailing how they wanted their salaries to be paid.

However, in a television announcement monitored in Osogbo, last night, NLC chairman in the state, Jacob Adekomi, said workers should not resume as earlier directed after finding out that the government had deceived workers into resuming work.

Some workers in Osun State who spoke to Information Nigeria but asked not to be named said only workers on grade level 1-7 in secondary schools and the civil service got full payment of their January salaries, while others got half salaries.

Pensioners of primary and secondary schools were also paid half of their pensions for months of December and January.

According to the workers, this is not the first time the government had used this tactic to divide opinions in the state.

“When you tell market women who love the governor that you have not been paid, they shout at you and accuse you of slander against Aregbesola since their son who is a cleaner at the ministry has been paid,” a civil servant said.

Adekomi said the payment was not in line workers rejected the  half salaries because it was in breach of the agreement reached by both parties.

He said the NLC suspended the strike because it believed the government would honour the agreement in the MoU the two parties signed, but it was wrong.