Salary arrears: Osun workers reject mode of payment

Workers in Osun State have rejected the mode of payment proposed by the state government to pay the arrears of their salary and threatened to re-embark on industrial action if the government insists on its plan. The labour unions in the state including the Joint Public Service  Negotiating Council (JNC), Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) and others said workers in the state will not accept payment of half salary for the month of March as proposed by state government.
In a communiqué issued on Friday after an emergency meeting in Osogbo, the labour leaders said the mode of payment being proposed by government contravened Memorandum of Understanding, (MoU), they signed with the state government before they called off the last strike.
The state Head of Service (HoS), Mr Sunday Owoeye had on Wednesday directed that half of March salary be paid to civil servants and the workers in the state had been grumbling over this. According to the communiqué issued by the labour unions: “The information released through the Head of Service on the payment of outstanding salaries on Wednesday was completely opposite the spirit of existing MoU. This had generated a palpable tension among the workers and all the entire people living in Osun State”.
“All the arrears of salaries and pensions should be paid from the already released bailout funds from the Central Bank of Nigeria which it is meant for. That Governor Aregbesola should direct the Accountant General of the state and Accountant of the Ministry of Local Government not to  release half salary into any workers’ individual account”.