Ondo State Civil servants has on Wednesday embarked on two-day warning strike this is however due to their unpaid two month salary arrears the state government is owing its workers.

Some government offices in Akure, the state capital, on Wednesday, were locked while security men were sighted at the entrance to Governor’s Office and some ministries to prevent possible breakdown of law and order.

The leadership of the Nigeria Labour Union in the state on Tuesday ordered workers to stay at home if the two months salaries promised by the government were not paid before the close of work. It was gathered that some of the workers received credit alerts of one month salary on Tuesday night.

The state Commissioner for Information, Mr. Kayode Akinmade, while speaking condemned the action of the labour leaders, saying that since the government had started the payment of two months salaries, there was no need for the strike.

Akinmade added, “There should be no need for strike. The Governor Olusegun Mimiko had directed that two months salaries be paid; the workers should have exercised patience. The delay may be as a result of bank process.

“They should understand that the two months cannot be paid at the same time; it has to take      some time before the second month (credit alert) would be received, but I am sure that before the end of today (Wednesday), all of them would have received alerts for the two months”.

“So, I see no reason why the workers should go on strike if they are not politically motivated.” To ensure total compliance, the labour leaders assembled as early as 7am on Wednesday at the premises of the Ministry of Finance and moved from one premises to the other, including local government secretariats, hospitals, schools, ministries and parastatals in the state.

State Chairman of the Public Service Joint Negotiating Council, Mr. Sunday Adeleye, accused that the government only paid one month salary for the month of July to the core civil servants and secondary school teachers, but failed to pay council workers, primary school teachers and other categories of workers.

He alleged the government of breaching the agreement reached with labour leaders at a meeting, where it was agreed that gross salaries of July and August and deductions for the month of June would be paid.