Secretary to Kogi State Government (SSG), Dr. Arike Folashade Ayoade, has allegedly threatened civil servants working in her office with sack should to join the planned industrial action as directed by trade unions in the state.
A civil servant, who craved anonymity, told Kogireports that Ayoade addressed civil servant working in the SSG office on Friday and instructed them to ignore the call for strike action by affiliated unions of Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC), Trade Union Congress (TUC) and Public Service Joint Negotiating Council (PSJNC).
She reportedly warned the workers that Kogi state government will mete the same treatment given to striking lecturers of Kogi State University (KSU) on them if they participate in the upcoming industrial action.
It will be recalled that over 100 striking KSU lecturers have been issued sack letter by the management of the institution on the instruction of the state government.
Our source said commissioners and heads of agencies will address civil servants in their respective offices next week with the same message as passed down by the SSG.
Labour unions in Kogi state had on Wednesday directed workers to embark on the strike from Friday, September 22 due to government’s failure to honour the agreement reached with them.
In a 7-day strike notice to Kogi state government, labour demanded among other things, “That government should as a matter of urgency, rescind its decision on clocking in and out policy in the public service of Kogi state, which aims at casualising the service on daily pay basis. This negates the provisions of National Councils on Establishment’s principles and practices guiding the civil service in the country.
“In addition, workers of Kogi state are not miners or workers of close-shop companies like Dangote, Nasco Groups of Companies, whose workers clock in and out. We find it extremely difficult to comprehend the issue, because government that could not fulfil its obligations to workers is out on a witch-hunting mission on monitoring and compelling workers with a draconian policy of clock in and out.
“That government should as a matter of urgency rescind its punitive policy of contributory pension scheme, as it will be difficult for government to pay its counterpart funding because salaries are not being paid regularly.”
The unions also asked government to implement the collective agreement entered into with them on August 1, 2016 without any further delay, adding that government should pay the arrears of salaries to all pardoned workers in the state, local government, primary school teachers and local government education authority staff from January 2016 to August 2017.
“That your excellency should as a matter of concern, make your words, your bond by ensuring that the clemency granted to various categories of workers comes to the limelight, because we find it difficult to actually clarify the dictates of your words as we observed that someone somewhere is tinkering with your directive or rather moderating your directive. Therefore, labour demand the immediate pay-rolling and payment of salaries and the arrears of the affected workers,” the union said.
