Oyo workers to commence strike on Friday

Workers in Oyo state on Thursday resolved to embark on industrial action on Friday (tomorrow) following their long listed issues with the outgoing state government.

The development came after the chairman of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) OYO State chapter, Comrade Bayo Titlola-Sodo had earlier on Wednesday hinted on the looming strike while hosting journalists to Iftar (breaking of fast) at the NULGE secretariat, Challenge, Ibadan.

He said “No the government should treat workers like slaves. Let there be justice on how we relate with fellow citizens. A number of teething issues had been on the ground since 2011 when the outgoing government came into power.”

Commenting on the Federal Government order that stops the state government from having access to local governments fund, he said state government had seized the powers of the LGs for far too long.

Titlola-Sodo added that there was no excuse for any state government not to pay the new minimum wage of N30,000 recently signed into law by President Muhammadu Buhari.

Meanwhile, a few hours after the NLC chairman lamented that the state government had refused to listen to their plight on various issues in an unsuccessful negotiation, the labour leaders released a statement, giving a 24-hour notice to commence strike from 12:00 a.m. on Friday.

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Part of the demands in a two-page statement jointly signed by the NLC secretary, Mohamed Ibrahim and the secretary of Joint Negotiating Council, Lukman Balogun, after a meeting of all public service unions in the state, include; payment of at least one month arrear of salary to some LG workers.

According to the statement, those affected are council workers in Lagelu, Egbeda, Ogbomoso North and South, Surulere and Ibadan North West LGs.

The statement went further that “The state government should pay the remaining arrears of salary to health workers under the umbrella of JOHESU, and also ensure the immediate enhancement of security within the state hospital, at Ring road, Ibadan”.

The union also appealed to the Governing Board of Ladoke Akintola University of Technology Teaching Hospital to reinstate the sacked workers at the hospital and release letter of promotion up to 2016 as being enjoyed by other sectors in the state.

The labour union, however, said that if all the above demands were not met within 24 hours, “the leadership of all unions in the Public Service in Oyo State shall not be able to guarantee industrial peace and harmony in the state with effect from Friday 24th of May 2019.”

The release also acknowledged the commitment of the state government to the welfare of workers which include: upgrading of the directorate cadre from grade level 16 to grade level 17, in tandem with the scheme of service in the Federal Civil Service level; lifting embargo placed on lateral conversion and transfer across all cadre in the public service and immediate payment of May 2019 salary/pension to all workers and pensioners in Oyo State.

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