Workers in Ogun State, South-west Nigeria have embarked on an indefinite industrial strike over the non-payment of 21 months’ salary deductions by the government.
The workers are also protesting what they termed the “government’s insensitivity to workers’ welfare.”
The leadership of the organised labour in the state, comprising the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Trade Union Congress (TUC) and Joint Negotiating Committee (JNC) declared their actions while addressing workers in Abeokuta, the state capital.
The workers took the decision following the expiration of the seven-day ultimatum issued to Governor Dapo Abiodun over his government’s non payment of eight-year statutory leave allowances and breach of the State Pension Reform Law, 2006 (amended 2013) in the implementation of the Contributory Pension Scheme, amongst other demands.
The workers, in their hundreds, sang solidarity songs and berated the government for failing to fulfill the agreement contained in the Memorandum of Understanding in 2020.
Meanwhile, efforts by the state government to avert the strike failed, after the closed door meeting held with the leadership of the organised labour ended in deadlock.
State Governor Abiodun, represented by state officials at the meeting in their attempt to persuade the workers failed as the labour leaders departed without reversal of the declaration, saying ”no Alert ,no Work In the state.”
The State Chairman of NLC, Emmanuel Bankole, described the strike as imperative following several failed attempts to meet the State Governor over their plights, saying “the government had failed to respond to over seven letters written on the issue.”
Bankole directed all civil servants in the state to stay away from work from Tuesday, declaring that there was no going back until their demands were met by the State Governor.
He said; “We are here today to take our destiny in our own hands. The leadership is ready. We must start a new beginning, we must tell the government that we are the workers and we are not slaves. The time is now, and a stop must be put to this.
“Our future and the future of the workers of Ogun state is in great jeopardy. “
“Governance is a serious business and whoever that is not ready for it, I think it is time we tell such person to go home.”
Mercy Chukwudiebere
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