July 15, (THEWILL) — Organised labour in Ogun State, comprising the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), the Trade Union Congress (TUC), and the Joint Negotiation Council (JNC), has insisted on continuing the industrial action declared on Monday, citing unresolved labour grievances.
The labour unions had, at the General Parliament of Ogun State Civil/Public Service Workers held at the Arcade Ground in Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta, directed public servants to down tools indefinitely until their demands are met.
At a press conference held Tuesday at the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) Secretariat, Iwe-Iroyin, Abeokuta, labour leaders vowed not to suspend the strike until Governor Dapo Abiodun engages them in a face-to-face dialogue.
Among their demands are the suspension of the implementation of the Contributory Pension Scheme, prompt promotion of workers, payment of eight years’ unpaid leave allowances, implementation of the new minimum wage of N77,000, improved working conditions, and the fulfilment of previous agreements.
The workers accused the state government of neglecting their concerns despite multiple letters and appeals, including one made during the 2024 Workers’ Day celebration.
They alleged that the Abiodun administration had flouted the state’s pension law since it assumed office in 2019.
TUC Chairman, Comrade Akeem Lasisi, speaking alongside the NLC Chairman, Comrade Ademola Hameed-Benco, and JNC Chairman, Comrade Isa Olude, said workers would not accept the implementation of the Contributory Pension Scheme without proper dialogue and resolution of pending issues.
Lasisi criticised the handling of the scheme, noting that many workers do not have valid Personal Identification Numbers (PINs), while others share PINs, making it impossible to access their Retirement Savings Accounts.
He further alleged that the state government had failed to remit any contributions into the scheme, effectively rendering it dysfunctional.
He maintained that the purpose of the scheme had been defeated, as many retirees would not be able to access their entitlements due to non-remittance of funds to the Pension Fund Administrators (PFAs).
“If the government is sincere about implementing the Contributory Pension Scheme, it must comply with the Pension Reform Act 2006, as amended in 2013, and settle all outstanding debts to the PFAs, which amount to nearly N160 billion,” Lasisi said.
He added: “It is no longer news that organised labour in Ogun State has declared a trade dispute with the government. We have written several letters, pleaded repeatedly, and held several meetings, but all our appeals have fallen on deaf ears.”
“Retirement should be a time to enjoy the fruit of one’s labour, but what we have in Ogun State is the opposite. From inception, the state government has defaulted on the pension law. Not a dime has been paid into the contributory scheme under Governor Abiodun’s administration, yet it plans to begin implementation by July 1, 2025.”
He lamented the administrative flaws in the scheme, citing shared and duplicated PINs among workers, which have made it impossible to access retirement savings.
According to him, the state cannot begin implementation without first remitting all owed funds and fixing the technical anomalies in the system.
Lasisi also decried the poor promotion structure and unpaid leave allowances, stating that successive governments have failed to address eight years of arrears owed to workers.
On the issue of the minimum wage, Lasisi noted that despite Governor Abiodun’s repeated assurances that Ogun State would not lag behind, the state currently pays one of the lowest salaries in the country.
“The new national minimum wage is N77,000. Domestic staff now earn N38,000, yet many Ogun workers are paid far less.
“That is unacceptable. The governor had promised that the state would lead in wage implementation, but the reality is far from it,” he said.
He concluded by urging the state government to take the concerns of workers seriously and open direct dialogue with labour leaders to end the strike
