…. JAU Leaders Insists on 60% Over Govt’s 40%, Meeting Deadlock
Barring any intervention, there seems to be serious crisis looming in Kogi State if the Joint Action Union of Local Government fails to reach an appreciable negotion with the State Government on percentage to be paid for November salaries following the receipt of the October allocation.
JAU is made up of the various Union Leadership heading Labour Union’s working at the Local Government levels, is presently engaging the Kogi State Government on the payment of October Salary. The JAU is insisting on 60% payment.
The Joint Action Union is made up of the Leadership of NUP, NUT, NULGE, NASU, and MHWUN has In the last couple of days been engaging the State Government to return them to 50% even though the Joint Action Union is insisting on 60% salaries for there members, with yesterday’s meeting ending in a deadlock.
A source who availed information to the Nigerianpost, disclosed that members under the aegies of Joint Action Union have lost confidence in there Leadership, lamented that the JAU has not protected there interest.
Workers under JAU said they have consistently been on percentage payment of salaries ranging from 30%, to 35%, with the Joint Action Union in there yesterday’s meeting calling for a jack up to 60% for October Salary.
The source said aside before the November 2019 Governoship election when the various workers at the LGAs received 50% salaries, ever since then, the salaries for workers either as Pensioners, Teachers, Health Workers, Primary School’s Teachers Local Government Staffers have ranged between 30% to 35%.
The demands by JAU members which has put the Leadership under tight coner, is coming up after many years of sacrifices, with the October Salary likely to be the last to be paid before centrally by Government before it is handed over to likely elected Councils after the December 12 Election.
While majority of JAU members at the Local Government level say they look forward to the return of the salaries account to the various Local Government areas to be handling, lamented that it has been challenging making ends meet with percentage payment.
Another theory made up of some JAU members however postulates that returning the salaries to the various Local Government Areas has its implications and challenges as at that level, reaching negotiations by the workers, it would be a harculean tasks. They staff in this category commended the leadership of JAU for still working at returning them to 50% Inspite the loss of confidence by the members.
Another Member of JAU who is a pensioner lamented how the Government will tax Pensioners, lamented that pensioners at the Local Government levels even with the percentage payment are still waiting to be paid October in November.
The State Government Received N3.7b, N3.4b and N2.9b respectively for the month of September, October and November as allocation for the various Local Government areas, have a monthly wage bill of N1.7b if it pays 50% and N1.5b if it pays the 40%, with the members wondering why the untold hardship.
For now following the pressure placed on the JAU Leadership by there members, the Leadership may have no choice but to reject the proposed 40% the Government is dangling at them as there members have shown that it would no longer be business as usual.
Furthermore, the anger by the LG workers made up of Teachers, Health Workers, LG Staffers, Pensioners is coming barely some days to the local government Election slated for December 12.
Many see the anger and likely protest as not too good coming at a time for Grassroots Election.