•Gov agrees to pay N25,000, N15,000 to workers, pensioners
Labour leaders in Oyo State have initiated emergency negotiations with government officials to avert a strike action.

The labour team participating in the meeting comprises Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) Chairman, Kayode Martins; Trade Union Congress (TUC) Chairman, Bosun Olabiyi; JNC Public Service Chairman, Olaonipekun Oluwaseun; and NUP Secretary, Segun Abatan.

The Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Prof. Olanike Adeyemo, led the government team, assisted by the Head of Service, Mrs. Olubunmi Oni.

While negotiations were on, hundreds of NLC, TUC, and affiliated members gathered at the gate, singing solidarity songs.

There was, however, an altercation as security operatives arrived at the scene. The situation intensified with the arrival of the state anti-crime task force, known as Operation Burst, causing some tensions between security operatives and the workers.

Normalcy was restored as some labour leaders and senior military officers intervened, ensuring that the negotiations continued without disruption.

MEANWHILE Governor Seyi Makinde, yesterday, agreed to commence the payment of N25,000 and N15,000 to workers and pensioners, respectively.

Makinde noted that the amount announced as wage award for both workers and pensioners would add N2.2 billion to the state government’s wage bill for each month, amounting to N13.2 billion in six months.

The governor also assured workers and pensioners that they would start receiving payment alerts from their respective banks before the week runs out.

The governor disclosed this while addressing workers who besieged the Agodi Secretariat.

Workers had, last month, threatened to embark on an indefinite strike should the government fail to meet their demands of wage increase following the announcement by the Federal Government of a wage award of N35,000.

While calling on the protesting workers to show more understanding, saying: “We’re talking with your leaders, there are one or two things I want to point out and it should be concerning to us in Oyo State. How come that Lagos that is 120km away, their IGR is N60 billion plus monthly, and we’re struggling between N3.5 and N3.8 billion. It was N1.8 billion when we came in during our first tenure.

So, we must decide if we want to work together to improve the economy of Oyo State. If we provide economic prosperity in Oyo State, it would reach everybody.”