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Oyo State workers on strike

By Muyiwa Adeyemi (Head, South West Bureau, Ibadan)
25 January 2018   |   4:12 am
Oyo State workers on Tuesday began a three-day warning strike to protest unpaid pensions and gratuities of retired primary school teachers accumulating to 56 months and workers’ non-promotion since 2010.

Oyo State workers on Tuesday began a three-day warning strike to protest unpaid pensions and gratuities of retired primary school teachers accumulating to 56 months and workers’ non-promotion since 2010.

The workers also accused the government of failing to address the 13 weeks old strike of the state-owned tertiary institutions, the sack of 256 members of staff of Ladoke Akintola University Teaching Hospital, Ogbomoso, lingering complaints of medical workers as presented by the Joint Health Sector Union (JOHESU).

The decision to embark on the strike was taken after a joint meeting of the state executive councils of the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC), Trade Union Congress (TUC) and the Joint Negotiation Council (JNC) held in Ibadan.

A letter sent to Governor Abiola Ajimobi entitled: “Re: Unresolved industrial issues in Oyo State Public/Civil Service,”  jointly signed by  NLC State Secretary, Mr. Kofo Ogundeji; TUC State Secretary, Mr. Falegbe Mayowa and JNC Assistant State  Secretary, Mr. Olabode Akinfenwa recounted various efforts made by the labour leaders to resolve the matter but which yielded no result NLC State Chairman, Comrade Waheed Olojede said the unions had written several letters and made attempts to seek the understanding of the government but to no avail.

He said: “Workers in the state-owned tertiary institutions have been on strike since November 2, 2017, and their matters have not been addressed up to date. We had two separate meetings with government and they yielded no result hence the people remain on indefinite strike. We have written series of letters to the government to give reasons why 100 per cent salary payment should be granted to workers in tertiary institutions.

“That led to a meeting with government on 7th of November 2017 led by the Secretary to the State Government demanding that a separate committee is put in place to look critically into the issue of administration of workers and the labour movement and labour was asked to send representatives to be members of that committee.

“When labour waited for long, and no action came from government, we demanded another meeting which led to another meeting held on 9th of January 2018 but the meeting ended not producing the desired result. And that shows that government appears to be insensitive to the plight of workers in tertiary institutions in the state.

“And so desired is our understanding of the fact that an injury to one is an injury to all, if today workers in the tertiary institutions are suffering this kind of hardship from the government, it should attract the attention of the entire labour movement. Moreso, a lot of other issues remain unresolved by the labour movement in the state.

“Aside from the issue of tertiary institutions, about 256 workers of LAUTECH teaching hospital were also sacked.

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