Kazeem Ugbodaga

Few days to the governorship election in Lagos state, the candidate of the All Progressives Congress, Akinwunmi Ambode has been harvesting a rich yield of endorsements from various groups.

The latest is the Lagos State Joint Public Service Negotiating Council, JNC, the umbrella union of all civil servants in Lagos State, which declared support for his aspiration.

JNC, at a news conference in Ikeja, Lagos, Southwest Nigeria on Wednesday, urged all civil servants in the state to vote for Ambode for continuity.

Buhari presents Ambode to Lagos voters

Chairman, Joint Negotiating Council, Lagos State, Comrade Femi Oyenubi said the council advised workers to go out on Saturday to exercise their voting rights for the candidate of their choice, but quickly added that they should keep faith with the present administration in its efforts to transform and take the State to the next level.

According to him, it is only in continuity that the plights of the public servants already on the table of the government could be well addressed and fulfilled.

However, Oyenubi said at the just concluded meeting of JNC on Wednesday, the council resolved that the protracted negotiation on the step restoration for civil servants had been put to rest as the state government had agreed to correct the error observed by the council in the implementation of the new salary structure as soon as possible.

“The council wishes to note the misinformation of the consolidated salary structure with the harmonised salary structure where the leave bonus is not paid en-block as it was in harmonised salary structure is being addressed with a resounding assurance from the state government to revert to the old order.

“The council hereby categorically states that the State Civil/Public Service requested for consolidated salary structure as it was effected by the Federal Government which has more benefits than the harmonised salary structure in which leave bonus and other allowances are embedded,” he said.

He said the union had an agreement with the government that there shall be upward review of workers’ salary every three years as negotiation was ongoing, adding that the council noted the unwavering commitment of the state government to the agreement reached with the labour leaders not to retrench workers in the state under whatever condition and circumstances.

“The council therefore wishes to advise that the agitation for enhanced conditions of service and improved welfare package should not be used as a political campaign by any political party as the council is not a political body,” he stated.

Speaking, Chairman, Trade Union Congress, TUC, Lagos State, Comrade Kazeem Akeem said the JNC decided to support the APC because the party had performed creditably well in Lagos, adding that there had not been job loss since Governor Babatunde Fashola took over power, which is a reason to galvanise support for the party.