By Moses John
Abuja
Organised Labour has called on President Muhammadu Buhari to urgently call the Ogun state Governor, Ibikunle Amosun, to order for intimidating workers for upholding their rights.
Deputy President of NLC, Comrade Kiri Mohammed, while reacting to strike by Ogun workers, also warned against a national strike in solidarity with the workers if the governor failed to resolve the issues.
He described the steps taken by the state government as “barbaric, inhuman and unlawful,” stressing that “it is better for the government to imbibe the culture of collective bargaining to resolve the impasse.”
Kiri, who is also the National President of Nigeria Civil Service Union (NCSU), as well as Chairman of the Joint National Public Service Negotiating Council, Trade Union, however, called on other well-meaning Nigerians to intervene with the view of restoring peace in work places in the state.
He said the workers are demanding the “remittance of the 72 months contributory pension deducted on behalf of workers to their Pension Fund Administrators, 12 months deductions from workers for cooperative, bank loans, Check off dues to their respective institutions and failure of the state government to pay gratuity to retired civil servants since 2012.”
Other demands of the workers are “non-release of promotion to qualify and deserving workers since January 2015 and non-recognition and refusal to allow the joint allocation committee of local government to function accordance with the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, thereby crippling the local government system.
“The Council condemns the intimidation and harassment of labour leaders for fighting for the legitimate right of the workers. The Governor of Ogun state is advice to imbibe to culture of collective bargaining principle by dialoguing with Organised Labour for peaceful settlement of the impasse.
“The Council also is in total support of the strike by Ogun state workers and urges the government to get the issues in dispute resolve and allow the existing industrial peace reign soonest to avoid being escalated across the country.”
