Harmony Holdings Limited said it has invested close to 200 million naira in Kwara Express in the last four years for smooth runing of the company.
Tope Daramola, Group Managing Director of HHL who disclosed this on Monday while addressing some staff of the state transport company at HHL headquarters, assured them of immediate payment of their 2011-2013 minimum wage arrears.
In a release issued by Kayode Aremu, Head of Corporate Affairs of HHL, the GMD said: “It is important to save the company by resuming work .Harmony Holdings in the last four years has invested close to 200 million naira in Kwara Express. These include; payment of debts, and arrears of allowances/ salary incurred before the take-over of the company by HHL.
“We have been on this issue for some time now and have held several meetings with the labour unions and government. It will have been resolved if the unions had agreed to the structured payment earlier proposed to them.”
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Daramola explained that the 34 million naira arrears was incurred before HHL was established as Harmony Holdings started the implementation of the minimum wage immediately it took over the management of the company in 2013 and has never defaulted.
The payment of 50 percent of the arrears amounting to 17 million naira according Daramola will commence immediately while the balance will be paid on structured plan.
He requested the Union to bring up a payment plan on how it wants to be paid while appealing to the workers who had embarked on industrial action to resume work immediately as the company was losing money.
Responding, Saliu Suliaman, the State Secretary of the Amalgamated Union of Public Corporations, Civil Service Technical and Recreational Employees AUPCTRE, commended Harmony Holdings Limited for the welfare of the workers and assured that they will resume work immediately .
SIKIRAT SHEHU, Ilorin
