.Ekiti, Oyo, Osun, Ogun workers in partial compliance

The two-day warning strike declared by the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) almost got flopped in Ondo State, yesterday, following the directive by the Head of Service (HoS) in the state, Kayode Ogundele, that civil servants should ignore the call for the industrial action and report to their duty posts.

Ogundele had given the directive while on routine inspection of Ministries, Departments and Parastatals (MDAs) in Akure, the state capital, yesterday.

But infuriated by the position of the HoS, the NLC and its affiliate bodies, led by Victor Amoko in the state, stormed MDAs in the Alagbaka axis of Akure metropolis as workers who had heeded the directive of Ogunleye were chased out of their offices.

The situation became rowdy at the Ministry of Health when a civil servant rained a series of punches on a female labour leader that had instructed him to leave the office premises.

Following the development, it took the intervention of other labour leaders to calm frayed nerves, after which all errant workers who had resumed at their duty posts were marched out.
Amoko, who spoke on the development, said: “This stay-at-home action was directed by the NLC across the nation; it is not about Ondo State alone; it is about the workers across the country and the populace.

Meanwhile, workers under the employ of the Oyo State Government were seen reporting for duties yesterday.

It was observed that all the entrance gates leading to the secretariat opened and workers were seen arriving at the secretariat as early as 6:30a.m.

However, in compliance with directives by leaders of the NLC, the Federal Secretariat, Ikolaba, Ibadan, was shut yesterday.
Many workers who arrived early with the hope of reporting for duties were denied entrance.

When The Guardian visited the federal secretariat, it was observed that palm fronts were placed on different parts of the gate,symbolising barred entry.

In Ekiti State, workers and those in the non-formal sector partially observed the warning strike.

Some federal and state workers in the state reported to their duty posts to do skeletal services, while some stayed away from work.

Socio-economic activities were also going on, with markets, hospitals and other businesses fully opened.

Civil servants of Ekiti State Internal Revenue Service and Judiciary Staff Workers at Ekiti State Customary Court of Appeal also defied the NLC’s call for warning strike.

The NLC in the state chased out workers who refused to join the strike.
Ekiti State NLC Chairman, Kolapo Olatunde, said the union would enforce the order today.

In Osun State, activities in some government ministries, departments and agencies were grounded as workers deserted their offices in solidarity with the two-day warning strike.
At the government secretariat in Osogbo, majority of workers did not come to work when The Guardian visited the area.

Visit to the State High and Magistrates’ Courts also showed that workers refused to turn up at their duty posts.

However, the leadership of the TUC in Osun said members would not be joining NLC in the warning strike.

In an interview, Chairman of the union in the state,Wale Oyeniyi, said workers in the state under TUC should go to work and that they would be aligning with the decision of the national body of the union that has given the Federal Government two weeks to attend to its demands.

However, it was gathered that some workers loyal to TUC were at their duty posts at the state secretariat.