The Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC), Ekiti chapter, has disagreed with Governor Ayodele Fayose over claims that workers are being owed four month salary arrears.
The State Chairman of the NLC, Com. Ade Adesanmi, said such claim had been causing serious disquiet among the workers, calling on government to always come out with correct information to douse the raging tension in the system.
Fayose, had while appearing on a television station in Lagos on Thursday revealed that workers were being owed four month salary arrears.
Reacting to the claim in Ado Ekiti, on Saturday, Adesanmi, said different categories of workers in Ekiti were being owed between five and eight months, contrary to the governor’s claim.
He said the workers still remained unwavering in their loyalty to the state government, but cautioned that making unbridled and misleading comments about the welfare of the workers can strain the relationship between the government and the workforce.
Breaking down the level of indebtedness of the government to workers, Adesanmi said: “The state workers’ benefits are in different categories thus: pension, gratuity, deductions and salary.
“As we speak now, the State civil servants are owed five months salary arrears, local government, eight months and subvented institutions, like College of Education Ikere, College of Heath Technology Ijero and Ekiti State University, Ado Ekiti, are owed seven month salary arrears.
“One cannot but talk about the plights of the pensioners, because one day we will all retire, either on account of age or length of service. As of now, pensioners are being owed five month pension arrears while gratuity has not been paid since 2012 when former Governor Kayode Fayemi was in the saddle.
“Ekiti workers are not oblivious of the economic recession that had depleted the financial strength of many states of the federation, including Ekiti. It was on this strength that workers have been showing understanding about inability of the government to pay up to date.
“Let me state that we all owe it a responsibility to contribute to the development of this state, but we need to give out correct and accurate information to the public , so that the government and workers can be on the same page, otherwise there will be friction.
“I want to appeal to the already restive workers to be patient, particularly those who were ruffled by the information.
“We are also assuring them that the NLC and the organized labour will continue to do those things that will promote their welfare in spite of the dwindling revenue to the state”, he said.
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