Workers in the Ondo State public service would embark on indefinite strike action on Wednesday unless the state government pays all outstanding salaries and refund deductions made from their salaries by Tuesday, July 21, 2015.
The state chairman of the Joint Public Service Negotiating Council (JNC), Comrade Sunday Adeleye, who disclosed the planned industrial action while speaking with newsmen in Akure on Monday said the strike will proceed as planned because the seven-day ultimatum issued to the government had elapsed.
The labour leader further revealed that workers’ cooperative society in the state had virtually collapsed as a result of the inability of government to remit workers’ deductions.
Meanwhile, Ondo State Commissioner for Information, Mr Kayode Akinmade has appealed to protesting workers to be patient with the government, assuring that their matter would definitely be looked into and addressed. “I appeal to them to embrace dialogue with the government instead of going on strike because if they go on strike, we are still going to negotiate, so strike should not be the last option. The state government through the Commissioner for Finance is already negotiating with the labour leaders, and I believe we are going to get a fruitful result at the end of the day,” he said.
By Olisemeka Obeche
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