Lagos State public servants are preparing to down tools, they are gearing up for a showdown with Governor Fashola over poor wage structure and refusal of Fashola to approve upward review of their salaries. Elections are around the corner and the out going governor of Lagos would certainly not want to leave office with such a crisis on the ground unsolved. On the hand of the Lagos Public servants, they know this is the right time to press home their case as they cannot really tell what the stands of the next governor would be on this issue. It is a case of striking the iron while it is hot.
The workers, under the aegis of Lagos State Joint Public Service Negotiating Council (Trade Union Side), JNC, have started distributing fliers to civil servants, with the caption: “Workers’ Alert 1, Salary Review in Lagos State Public/Civil Service.”
The workers said it was time for upward review of workers’ salaries, which they had been demanding for a long time.
The workers’ alert bulletin said whereas, the state government in January 2011 signed an agreement with the Lagos State JNC for salary review every three years.
“It is also necessary to inform you all that several meetings were held and correspondences exchanged, the government has refused to fulfil its own part of the agreement signed,” the bulletin said.
The demands of the public servants include upward review of workers’ salary effective from January 2014 and reversal of the compressed steps of 1 and 2 of the original steps before he implementation of the Lagos State Consolidated Salary Structure in 2011 which hitherto depleted the take home pay of Lagos State workers.
The JNC said labour leaders were convinced that beyond reasonable doubt that the government is not willing to fulfil its own side of the promise by foot-dragging.
“It is on this note that we call on all workers of Lagos State Government to join forces with the labour movement in achieving our set goals. We should be ready to face the challenges ahead as we have shown enough understanding with the present day government,” the JNC said.
