SPN said the situation makes a mockery of the administration's prompt payment of salary on the 25th of every month.
The Socialist Party of Nigeria, SPN, Oyo State chapter has accused Governor Seyi Makinde's administration of not paying workers in the state their full salaries in over six months.
SPN said the situation makes a mockery of the administration's prompt payment of salary on the 25th of every month.
This is contained in a statement signed by Ayodeji Adigun, SPN State Secretary, who noted that the state chapter of SPN supports the ultimatum given by the Nigeria Labour Congress.
It urged the NLC leadership to convene the congress of workers in the state to discuss the action to take after the expiration of the ultimatum should the government fail to meet their demands.
The party explained that it is indeed a shameful and unhealthy practice for a state government to deduct certain amounts from workers' salaries without evidence of the remittance of same for the purpose for which the deductions were authorised by the individual workers.
The statement reads in part, "The Socialist Party of Nigeria, SPN, Oyo State chapter welcomes the decision of the Oyo State leadership of the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC to give the state government under the leadership of Engr. Seyi Makinde is an ultimatum over the non-remittance of workers’ salary deductions and non-payment of some entitlements that directly affect the workers' welfare in the state.
"The workers’ entitlements that have reportedly suffered a long denial under the Makinde-led government include leave bonuses and gratuities for retirees. Likewise is the continuous refusal to effect a review of the state pension and workers’ promotions for 2022 and 2223. According to media reports, the last workers' promotion was effected in 2021 for which even none of the beneficiaries has been issued, up till this moment, a letter to that effect.
"SPN condemns the refusal of Makinde-led government to pay deductions from workers' salary, from January 2023 up till this moment as well as the denial of all of the other aforementioned workers’ entitlements. It is indeed a shameful and unhealthy practice for a state government to deduct a certain proportion of workers' monthly salaries without evidence of the remittance of the same for the purpose for which the deductions were authorised by the individual worker.
"The implication of this practice which is more or less like a broad day robbery is that Engr. Seyi Makinde-led government has not been paying workers in the state their full monthly salaries for over half of a year now. This is an indictment of the integrity of the regime and also a mockery of its so-called achievements of prompt payment of salary on the 25th of every month.
"It is in light of this that we support the NLC ultimatum and urge the leadership to convene the congress of mass of workers in the state to discuss the action to take after the expiration of the ultimatum should government fail to meet their demands.
"This will not only help to mobilise the rank and file of workers in the state for an active participation in the planned action but will also create an avenue for a discussion to secure a democratic agreement over how best to prosecute the action."
"On a final note, the callous action of short-changing workers by the non-remittance of those deductions at the expense of the welfare of workers further underscores why the state leadership of both NLC and TUC must end their continuous illusion in the Makinde-led government. Makinde-led regime has proved that like its predecessors is never a sincere friend of labour," it added.