The immediate past chairman of the Nigeria Labour Congress in Ogun State, Comrade Adeniyi Clement, has called on the state government to employ dialogue in resolving the ongoing industrial action embarked upon by the organised labour in the state.
Both the state government and organised labour comprising the NLC, Trade Union Congress and the Joint National Public Service Negotiating Council had been at loggerheads over the inability of the government to pay workers three months’ salaries and allowances, resulting in the industrial action.
Workers in the state had issued a 21-day ultimatum to the state government over the 72-month unpaid contributory pension scheme, 12 months of deductions, four years of unpaid pension and the non -payment of the salaries of staff at the Tai Solarin College of Education running to about 16 months.
At the expiration of the ultimatum, the workers decided to embark on an industrial action, which began on Thursday last week.
Governor Ibikunle Amosun described the workers strike as politically motivated, following the action put up by teachers at the last celebration of the World Teachers’ Day in the state. But the former NLC chairman, while reacting to the development, said negotiation was the only option needed by both parties to settle the industrial crisis amicably.
He said, “The workers are to meet the government and dialogue. Dialogue is the only solution for now. No other solution than for the government to call the workers and dialogue now.
“Even at the war front, where nations face nations, at the end of the day, they sit at the round table to talk. So, if you don’t talk, how will you solve the issue? “he added.
Adeniyi, however, assured that the workers were ready to sit at the table and resolve the issue with the state government, if it was ready to discuss.
According to him, “Labour is always ready to dialogue at any given time, if the government says come and they will go and talk and that is the way the matter can be settled, no other way. “
Adeniyi, who was the state NLC chairman under the Gbenga Daniel administration, appealed to the state government to temper justice with mercy by forgiving any worker who might have offended him due to the action of some of them at the last celebration of the World Teacher’s Day in the state.
