OGUN RADIO WORKERS ISSUE 7 DAY ULTIMATUM OVER NON-PAYMENT OF SIX YEARS N148MILLION ENTITLEMENTS
The workers of Ogun State Broadcasting Corporation,OGBC,a radio station owned by the Ogun State Government have issued out a 7-day warning strike over non-payment of N148,264,000 said to be outstanding entitlements the authority had failed to pay.
The staffers under the aegis of Nigeria Union of Journalists,(NUJ), and Radio Television and Theater Arts Workers Union,(RATTAWU),issued the ultimatum on Thursday at a joint congress held at the premises of the station in Abeokuta.
The 7 day ultimatum resolution signed by Abiodun Ogundipe(NUJ Chairman) and Ayo Aina(RATTAWU Chairman) of the station chapter, on behalf of the 157 workforce stated that, the whooping sum covers the period between 2012-2017.
The unpaid entilltements according to the resolution include; outstanding salaries for four months(N76.8m),pension deductions from 2012 to date(N45m),outstanding union dues for 2017(N464,000.00),national housing fund deductions for 2013 to date(N2m) and CTCS deduction of 2011-2016(N6m)
The dejected workers while calling on Ogun State Governor,Senator Ibikunle Amosun to come to their aids ,explained that,the ultimatum was given,after the expiration of the earlier 14 days ultimatum given to the radio station management.
The workers declared that, any failure by the management to addressed their demands before the expiration of the 7 days warning, would result in industrial action.
‘Following the expiration of the 14 day ultimatum given to the management of the station on the 16th of April,2017 and it’s expiration on 25th of April,2017 for the payment of all outstanding salaries and deductions,we write to inform you of the decision of both unions(RATTAWU and NUJ) to issue the final 7 day ultimatum as stipulated in the labour law for the demand to be met’,the resolution reads.
The unions also forwarded copies of the resolution to Governor Ibikunle Amosun,Secretary to State Government, Head of Service,Commissioner of Information andd Strategy and Board Chairman of the radio station.
‘This decision was taken at a joint congress of both unions that was well attended by our members today,26th of April. We would also like to state that the management has not paid adequate attention to our demands as money that should have been used to meet part of our demands have been diverted to the payment of impress to and buying of fuel for personal use of management staff’,the ultimatum letter stated
‘We will very much appreciate the intervention of His Excellency,the Governor of the State,Senator Ibikunle Amosun,the Commissioner for Information and Strategy,Otunba Dayo Adeneye and Permanent Secretary of the Minisstry,Mr Peter Fagboun which had alow for industrial peace and given us hope’,the workers said
‘We would appreciate if the following demands are met for industrial harmony;(a) payment of outstanding salaries for four months at N76.8m, (b)payment of pension deductions from 2012 to date which is over N45m(c) payment of outstanding union dues for year 2017 at N464,000.00(d) National Housing Fund deductions of 2013 to date of over N2m(e) OGBC CTCS deduction of 2011-2016 of over N6m’,the resolution emphasised
