Fuel Strike: Return to negotiation table or forfeit your pay, Dickson warns labour ……directs payment of salaries to begin Thursday
Taiwo Owoeye
Bayelsa State governor, Henry Seriake Dickson on Wednesday threatened to invoke the principle of no work, no pay, should labour proceed on indefinite strike without dialogue.
He however restated government’s commitment to adopt the option of dialogue as the best means of resolving industrial disputes with a call on the leadership of labour to shelve its planned indefinite strike action and accept its offer for an amicable resolution of the contending issues.
The governor renewed his call on the NLC and the TUC to do its promised consultation and return to the negotiating table for an amicable resolution of the issues involved for the benefit of all parties.
The labour movement in Bayelsa state had decided to embark on an indefinite strike action, citing the non-payment of salaries of workers.
In his reaction to the strike threat, Dickson said, if labour must adopt the strike option, the government would have no other option than also to invoke the rule of “No work; No pay’.’
According to him, the problem of salary payment was not peculiar to Bayelsa State alone, as it is a problem confronting nearly every state of the federation.
Dickson expressed dismay over the decision of labour, when it was yet to exhaust the various avenues still open for peace and dialogue.
He said government was still expecting a response from labour regarding the options presented to it at the last meeting they held with the government.
Dickson said the government was still waiting on labour to consult and present its decision on the various payment options offered it.
He said, “Since labour has failed to make any presentation to the government, the relevant agencies of the government have been directed to commence the payment of salaries of public servants, who were left out in January exercise, beginning from tomorrow (Thursday, May 19, 2016).”
The government, however, restated its desire to dialogue with labour towards ensuring industrial harmony.
