We Shall Invoke No Work, No Pay – Amosun Tells Ogun Workers

SAN FRANCISCO, March 13, (THEWILL) – Governor Ibikunle Amosun has threatened to sanction striking workers in Ogun State if they fail to resume duty on Monday in accordance with ‎the ‘no work, no pay’ rule of the Trade Dispute Act, warning that any worker that fails to resume shall forfeit his salary.

Amosun, through Sola Adeyemi, Ogun State Head of Service (HoS) in Abeokuta, said government would have to invoke the rule of the Trade Dispute Act on the striking workers following workers’ failure to heed all appeals from government and well-meaning indigenes of the state.

“Government would not yield to pressure coming from some quarters calling for downsizing or reducing salaries of its workforce, but, the refusal of the labour unions to consider all entreaties to end the industrial action so that the state might be in a position to generate resources for the benefit of the workers and generality of the citizens might force government to invoke ‘no work, no pay,” he said.

While maintaining seriousness of government in invoking the Trade Dispute Act on the erring striking workers, he referred to 43 (1) (a) of Trade Dispute Act, which says: “Where any worker takes part in a strike action, he shall not be entitled to any wages or other remuneration for the period of the strike, and any such period shall not count for the purpose of reckoning the period of continuous employment and all rights dependent on continuity of employment shall be prejudicially affected accordingly.”

He recalled that the state government “has been consistent with payment of workers' salaries as and when due, and has paid workers up to February 2016, with a promise to meet other demands once the finances of the state improved, union leaders went ahead to call out workers on a strike on March 7, 2016, and physically prevented majority of the employees who reported for duties from gaining access to their offices.”

This, according to Amosun, accounted for the reason why all employees should be at their duty posts, as he assured the workers of government's commitment to their welfare, and called for their understanding during the current economic downturn.

Story by David Oputah