Osun workers vow to reject part payment for March

Primary school teachers and local government workers in Osun State have vowed to reject the alleged planned payment of 60 per cent of their March 2015 salaries by the state government. 

Some of the workers who fall into these categories told our correspondent in Osogbo on Thursday that they were reliably informed that government officials had taken the payment order to banks but rescinded the plan when they heard that workers had kicked against it. 

The workers, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said paying their salaries in piece meal had rendered such payment useless for the workers. 

One of the workers said, “We were reliably informed that the government took 60 per cent of our salaries to the bank. That is salaries of primary school teachers and local government workers but we have asked our leaders to tell those behind the plan to stop it. 

“They want to pay 60 per cent of our March salary and they would go and announce that they have paid a full salary. We won’t accept that. 

“Even the labour leaders were on Tuesday fooled into believing that the pensioners would be paid one month. The pensioners later discovered that the government only paid them 50 per cent of their November 2014 pension.” 

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The  Chairman of the Nigeria Labour Congress in the state, Mr. Jacob Adekomi, could not be reached as calls put across to his telephone indicated that it was switched off. 

But the Chairman of the Nigeria Union of Teachers, Mr. Wakeel Amuda, when contacted, said he heard that government wanted to pay 60 per cent of March salary for primary school teachers and council workers.

He, however, said he had been told that the government had rescinded the decision to pay workers 60 per cent of March salary. 

Amuda said, “We heard it as a rumour that the government had concluded the plan to pay 60 per cent of March salaries for local government workers and primary teachers. 

“They must not make the mistake of making part payment because the union will resist it.  They have assured us that they will pay in full.” 

Asked if primary school teachers and council workers would suspend their strike if the March salary was paid in full , Amuda said “they will not until the government paid all the workers their five months salaries.”