The Oyo State Chapter of the Nigeria Labour Congress, on Monday, threatened to embark on a sit-at-home if the state government failed to honour its agreement by the end of October.
That was one of the resolutions of the union after its congress, held at the NLC Secretariat in Ibadan, the state capital.
The NLC Chairman, Kayode Martins, who briefed journalists shortly after the congress, said the leadership of the workers had earlier briefed its members on activities of the committee set up by the government to fashion a suitable arrangement for the wage award, before reaching resolutions based on recommendations from workers.
He said, “Today’s congress was solely called on wage award issue. It’s been lingering all the while and workers in the state are fed up, even the pensioners. We have been having a series of meetings, like we told the governor when the ad hoc committee was inaugurated that people are fed up already.
“Since May 29 this year, nothing has been done. We have been having meetings upon meetings, and people decided today (Monday) that we are standing on the agreement made between the Federal Government in the Governors’ Forum and Labour leaders at the national level that at the end of the month, wage award of N35,000 for workers and N25,000 for pensioners is not implemented, people should stay at home.
“We are going to send the notice to the government and all the stakeholders in the next couple of minutes. With what is on the ground in this state, I’m appealing to the state government as a Pace Setter state to add to the money and not deduct from it. This is time for us to have our payback even beyond N35,000 and N25,000, respectively.
“The governor has been a man for the workers and the pensioners. He is our own man, like we said during the electioneering that his second term in office is our project and we were able to deliver and this is payback time for us as well. So, hopefully, we are believing God for something beyond N35,000 and N25,000 from him.
“If at the end of this month, nothing is done, we are staying at home. We are the mouthpiece of our people and our people have spoken. We are just there to speak their minds and we are going to deliver their resolutions to the appropriate quarters.” Martin explained.
Also speaking, the state Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Union of Pensioners, Segun Abatan explained that, though the Governor, Seyi Makinde has proven to show empathy for workers’ welfare, he must be wary of wrong advice that might pitch him against the workforce.
He said, “I want to state this that the Congress of the Pensioners we organised on this same issue last week Thursday was a mini congress, and this is the mother and father of all congresses as far as the state is concerned. Whatever is said here is binding us. So, the NUP is fully in support of all the decisions taken at this congress here today (Monday). So, there is no going back on it.”
