An hungry man is an angry man! If workers are deprived of their entitlements you are gradually killing them.



DAY 4 OF THE JNC-LED LABOUR STRIKE ACTION: WHY IT MUST CONTINUE...

It has now dawned on us, the entire workforce of Ogun state government, that our employer, the state government, is indeed deliberately not alive to its responsibility as government. It is unAfrican for a father to be indifferent and unconcerned about the situation of his dying child as he is busy attending to non-profitable things.

For the avoidance of doubt, it might serve a greater advantage to opinionate why some of us in this struggle felt and still feel strongly that the on-going industrial action in Ogun state should be sustained until our government sees reasons why we MUST be attended to without delay.

The reasons are:

1. That the apparent silence of Mr. Governor over this strike action is not only offensive but quite insulting to the collective sensibilities of Ogun workers and their dependants.

2. That the recent ordered attack, molestation, tear-gassing, handcuffing and eventual arrests of some labour leaders by the police on the instructions of the Secretary to the state government without any clothing of decency have brutalized the psyche and psychology of the entire workers of Ogun.

3. That deductions, bank loans, unions' dues, leave allowances, unpaid gratuities, and the unremitted pension funds have sent many of our colleagues to their early graves ( in the secondary school sector alone between September 2015 up till February 2016 we have mourned the loss of over 40 teachers/principals) and I am convinced that same would have been suffered by other workers of other sectors.

Our children's education has been impaired, crippled and greatly retarded by unremitted funds listed above. And we are often told that these innocent kids are our future leaders: then "why kill them before they grow?"

4. That government's many failed promises, for instance the MOU jointly signed by government representatives and JNC/TUC/NLC in January which led us to where we are today have created mistrust, feeling of betrayal and misgivings in the hearts of workers towards labour leaders in the state.

5. That government is not doing civil and public servants in the state any FAVOUR when their salaries and allowances are paid as and when due. After all, payment of such is the responsibility of government in the first place.

6. That the state government should give priorities to its programme and projects, after all, as beautiful as those projects are, it only makes sense when people are alive to use them.

7. That sequel to 6 above, the government would have saved itself some blushes if for instance, the model colleges had (if there is need for them in the first place) been restricted to just FOUR with one each built in each of the four zones of the state. The model colleges seem to have swallowed up funds that would have served better purposes. There are many more projects that should have been weighed to determine their comparative advantages and relevance in the present time.

8. That the cliche: "NO WORK, NO PAY" being bandied about lately by the government or her officials has become hackneyed and abused so much that the government needs to try harder.

9. That if the government had even attempted to pay these debts ( thank God the SSG agreed that they are owing workers in his recent press release) in trickles, we wouldn't be in this monumental mess, and finally,

10. That as WASSCE starts very soon, at least it is not a state or national examination alone. It is a sub-regional one. It is therefore expedient for government to do the needful for the sake of "the future leaders", their parents and the future of our dear state.

Workers too are human beings and the same blood that flows in the veins of the people in government flows in us. In fact, workers have been seen to be more COMPASSIONATE AND HUMANE, hence our numerous lifelines which government had enjoyed up till when THINGS FELL APART.

In the meantime, the ball is in government court. Labour is also ready to play, but the rules of engagement must be strictly adhered to.

WALE ADENAYA
ASUSS PRO

Lalasticlala , have you heard about this? Don't you think the Ogun State Governor Must See This? Abeg Ccome Move To FP make he see..