Ekiti workers sign 7- point agreement with state govt; call off strike

Ekiti State public service workers, Friday, called of their four-week industrial action over salary arrears owed them by the state government.
This is also as the labour unions in the state signed a seven-point agreement with the state government which spelt out modalities for the resolution of the impasse.
Joint Negotiating Council (JNC) chairman, Comrade Oladipo, said the suspension of the strike will give room for more consultations.
The resolutions include; the payment of the January 2016 salary, negotiations with commercial banks to reorganise loan repayments, payment of leave bonuses etc.
Head of Service, Dr Gbenga Faseluka commended the workers as well as the state Governor Ayo Fayose for his commitment to ensure workers are taken care of properly.
“When you have such a situation on hand, it is obvious that when you get to 12 months, there would be a gap of six months. The arrangement started and we were combining two allocations to pay a month salary. The state government appreciates the workers and value their support and cooperation.”
This is coming as several groups in the state held a mass rally calling for the resignation of the Governor Fayose.
It would be recalled that students in the state, had Wednesday, protested the continued strike by workers in the state, as they urged Gov. Fayose to pay the workers outstanding salary arrears.
Similarly, civil society groups and the organized labour bodies also staged a mass protest, Thursday, against the economic situation in the state.
The protesting students, under the platform of the National Association of Nigerian Students, NANS, Ekiti State chapter, carried placards describing the governor as not being sincere and concerned about the plight of the striking workers.
The protesting students, comprising representatives from different higher institutions in Ekiti State converged on the Fajuyi roundabout, moving through the Governor’s Office, along Okesa taking over the major road.
Speaking with newsmen, President of NANS, Ekiti Chapter, Comrade Shina Awopeju lamented that the strike had brought setback to the education sector in Ekiti state.
He said several school pupils had been staying at home for the past 4 weeks and that students who were writing exams before the commencement of the strike were now made to stop their exams as the strike continued.
“If Mr Governor refused to pay salaries, we won’t relent in our protest, the protest will continue till next week. National Association of Nigerian Students in Ekiti State is totally against taxation of students in Ekiti State”, he declared.
Also speaking, Comrade Olajide Tope Ebenezer the President of the student union government of the College of Education Ikere-Ekiti said the entire students in Ekiti state were totally disappointed in the state government.