By Noah Ocheni, Lokoja
Crises brews in Kogi as Local government workers under the aegis of Joint Action Union, (JAU) may down tools following the failure of both government and the Union to agree on a percentage to be paid to council workers this Month.
The meeting between the Leadership of the various Unions at the Local council Areas with the Kogi State Government has Again ended in a deadlock on Monday as the local government workers’ insistence on 60 per cent salaries against the government’s offer of 40 per cent.
JAU which is made up of various Union Leadership of NUT, NUP, MHWUN, NASU, NULGE, has since last week been engaging the Kogi State Government on the payment of October Salary and could not reach an appreciable negotiations as JAU is insisting on 60% payment while Government is holding onto 40% as what it can pay.
Sources closed to both parties has it that, hence yesterday’s meeting ended in a deadlock, there may be another chance today if shifting of bases could arise at the end of today’s meeting.
Workers who complained of loosing confidence in Leadership of JAU, lamented that the JAU has not protected their interest, describing the situation as regrettable for allowing the State Government to pay percentage salaries for too long.
Workers accoding to sources who are earning salaries from allocation to the Local Government Areas, under the aegies of JAU, said they have consistently been on percentage payment of salaries ranging from 30%, to 35%.
The workers who spoke on condition of annonymity, said the last collected 50% as salaries before the November 2019 Governoship election adding that ever since then, salaries for local government workers, Pensioners, Health Workers and Primary School Teachers, has been between 30% to 35%.
The October Salary is likely to be the last to be paid centrally by Government before they could finally hand over to the likely elected Councils after the December 12 Election, reasons why the Members of the Various unions are agitating for improve percentage.
Majority of JAU members at the Local Government level said they are optimistic of the return of the salary account to the various Local Government areas, lamenting that it has been a big challenges making ends meet with percentage payment.
The:staff members in this category who argued against returning the salaries to the various Councils, however commended the leadership of JAU for still working to return them to 50% Inspite the loss of confidence thus far displayed by the members.
Another Member of JAU, who is a pensioner “lamented that the Government is taxing Pensioners at the Local Government levels adding that even with the percentage payment, we are still waiting to be paid for October in November.”
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