NLC threatens to shut down Ondo, rejects disparity in salary payment

By Akintunde Jacobs, Akure

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Ondo State chapter has threatened to shut down the state if the state governor, Oluwarotimi Akeredolu implemented his plan to pay medical officers in the state 100 per cent salary without recourse to other civil servants in the state.

The NLC bureau in a statement made available to journalists in Akure on Monday evening said it was not against the move to pay 100 per cent salary to the medical officers in the state services but insisted that it must cut across all civil servants in the state.

According to the statement, anything contrary to that would force the union to shut all government machinery in the state.

The union acknowledged the efforts of royal fathers in the state in ensuring peace in the state as they brokered peace between the state government and civil servants through the labour union on the issue of salary payment.

The statement reads further, “We are not averse to the payment of 100% salary to Medical Officers as long as it will also cut across every civil servant in the State.

“We reject in its entirety the idea of preferring Medical Officers only for 100 per cent salary payment and leaving out other Medical and Health workers who are in the same sector including the Security, Drivers, Sanitary Labour and Gardeners.

“We hold that Doctors provide essential services that have to do with life. Nonetheless, it is not enough to super-impose and or hyper-rate them as super or extraordinary civil servants.

“We wish to remind all that, we are, first of all, employees of Ondo State Government irrespective of cadre and government as a father must not care more for some at the expense of others. The same service rules and conditions of service apply to all.