Ekiti Assembly Calls for Genuine Reconciliation, Negotiation between Government and Striking Workers

The Ekiti State House of Assembly on Thursday called for a genuine reconciliation between the state government and its striking workers.

The Assembly passed the resolution at its parliamentary meeting held at the Assembly complex, Ado-Ekiti, the News Agency of Nigeria, (NAN) reports.

NAN reports that the workers, currently on strike, were demanding the release of the staff audit and verification conducted in April, 2015 and the disclosure of the state monthly internally generated revenue.

It also wanted the state government to pay the arrears of five months salaries pension and gratuities, payment of September 2014 salary to primary school teachers and payment of 2014 and 2015 leave bonuses.

The workers were also asking the state government to implement the promotion examinations conducted for its workers for 2013, 2014, 2015, the approval of inter-cadre transfer and the remission of 10 per cent GR to local government.

They were also calling for the stoppage of Joint Allocation Committee’s account, resuscitation of Local Government staff pension fund and release of running grants.

The resolution paper signed by the Speaker, Kola Oluwawole, Tunji Akinyele (Chairman) and Sina Animashaun (Secretary), appealed to the organised labour in the state to embrace a round-table negotiation with the state.

The resolution read,

That the NLC and its affiliates should show a high level of understanding that the current financial status of the state is certainly not sufficient to pay the monthly outstanding salaries of the workers.

Consequently, a genuine reconciliation and negotiation should be embraced by the labour union and the government.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) also reports that the Assembly had unanimously passed a vote of confidence on Governor Ayo Fayose.

The legislators said that their decision to reiterate their thumps-up for the governor was because of his selfless service to the citizens of the state despite its meagre resources.

The members, however, warned against any inducement of the house members noting that none of the 26 members could be bought over to impeach the governor.

“Anyone within and outside Ekiti subtly contacting or pressurising any member of the State House of Assembly to do any dirty job should drop the idea.

None of the members can be bought over, induced and coerced to do anything unwholesome against the government.

That any externally sponsored crisis against Gov. Ayo Fayose is a total war waged against the entire people of Ekiti and will be heavily resisted,” the resolution read.