The State Government of Osun on Tuesday restated that it is not paying half salary to its entire workforce.
It said rather than half salaries, the government is paying based on the modulated salary structure agreed by government and labour when financial tsunami hit all tiers of government across the country.
A statement by the Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Mr Adelani Baderinwa in Osogbo, said contrary to a report on a national daily, with the modulated salary structure, the State Government is not indebted to any worker.
Baderinwa said “We have been saying it loud and clear and we will not be tired of saying it until the mischief makers succumb to fact and reality; it is only a section of workers on grade level 13 and above that receives painfully 50 per cent of their salaries based on agreement between the government and the labour unions.”
“Outside that category of workers on grade level 13 and above, no other receives half of his or her salaries and the workers in this category are just about 20 per cent of the state’s workforce.”
“Workers on levels 8-12 receive 75 percent of their salaries while officers on levels 7 and below receive their full pay.”
Stressing that all workers in the state have received their salaries up to October this year, the Osun Commissioner for Information said the same modulated salary structure is also used for the pensioners.
Baderinwa stated that “The only outstanding payment to pensioners is the gratuity and this is due to workers who choose not to participate in the Contributory Pension Scheme and therefore left service in 2011/2012.”
“We recall that workers on levels 8 and above received the July and August arrears when the government paid in July this after receiving the second tranche of the Paris Club Loan Refund.”
The State Government of Osun however reiterated that the government will fully fulfill its obligations to the entire workforce when the state’s economy improves.
He contended that the report by the national newspaper is a clear attempt to malign Governor Rauf Aregbesola and paint the state government as deliberately paying “Half Salary.”