The organized Labour in Kogi State has called on the state government to desist from using divide and rule tactic as a way out of the current industrial dispute with it.
The call was made on Thursday in Lokoja in a statement circulated among media houses by the leaderships of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Trade Union a Congress ( TUC) and the Joint Public Service Negotiating Council ( JPSNC),
According to the statement, the disparity in the months of salary arrears being owed workers in the state is one of such tactics.
The statement signed Mr Olakunle Faniyi, Secretary, NLC; Mr Kolawole James, Secretary, TUC and Mr Isah Abubakar, Secretary, JPSNC also accused government of planning to pay two month salary arrears to workers to blackmail them back to work.
They called on the government to meet all their demands or call a meeting of stakeholders to chart a way forward.
It would be recalled that the workers had on Sept. 22 embarked on an indefinite strike to press home their demands for the payment of their salary arrears, leave bonus arrears and cash backing for promotions among others.
“Threats, intimidation, blackmail, denials and pretense are all out of fashion. Government must act now and not make Kogi State a laughing stock among comity of states in Nigeria, “ the statement said.
It also urged the government to rescind its plan of retiring 230 directors that have less than five years to retire but the Chief Press Secretary to the governor, Mrs Petra Akinti–Onyegbule described the labour’s claim as incorrect.
The statement further queried the rationale behind government decision to retain its over 300 political appointees when at a time it is finding it difficult to pay workers salary.
(NAN)
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