Ondo State labour unions have suspended the 30-day strike they embarked on to protest non-payment of over five months’ salary and pension allowances to workers and retirees in the state.

Coming on the heels of some agreements they reached with government after four days of negotiations the labour leaders   on Thursday night directed the workers to return to work .

A source at the meeting told The Guardian terms of agreement include immediate payment of January salary for civil servants, secondary school teachers, and Teaching Service Commission (TESCOM) staff.

The Ondo State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission (OSOPADEC) workers will get three months’ salaries, February to April, while health workers will get two months’ salaries.

The source disclosed further that primary school teachers, local council workers and pensioners will be paid February salary with special consideration for grade level 1-10 cadres who will get February and March salaries.

State tertiary institutions will get one month’s subvention as the state government pledged to settle outstanding arrears as soon as it gets funds from the Federal Government.

To cushion the effects on the workers, the source, a labor leader , said they agreed that the salaries will be paid in cash so as to mitigate whatever implications it will cost the state workers who are currently servicing some loans with the banks and other financial institutions.

The Chairman of the State Joint Negotiating Council (JNC), Mr Sunday Adeleye , Chairmen of Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Mrs  Bosede Daramola and the Chairman of the Trade Union Congress (TUC),  Mr Soladoye Ekundayo signed on behalf of workers, while the Head of Service, Mr Tony Akinkuotu, Commissioner for Finance, Mr Yele Ogundipe and Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr Eyitayo Jegede SAN signed for the government.

“It was also resolved today that all outstanding arrears of salaries and pensions shall be offset as a matter of priority from the refunds and reimbursement en bloc and that subsequent salaries should be paid as number one priority from the Internally Generated Revenue (IGR), Statutory Allocations, budget support loans, refund reimbursement and other sources.

“Government should step up efforts towards increasing its IGR to complement its dwindling allocations from the federation accounts as a way of meeting its financial obligations, especially in prompt salary payment,”Adeleye stated.