The organised Labour Unions in Oyo State on Monday, locked the entry and exit gates to the Oyo State secretariat, Ibadan, in protest over deductions in the payment of salary, palliatives for workers and upward review of pension allowances.
The gates were put under lock, against that civil servant who expected to resume work on Monday morning, while the union leaders insisted that they only want Governor Seyi Makinde, and no government official, to address their demands.
Participating in the protest were workers and pensioners on the platforms of Nigeria Labour Congress, Trade Union Congress, Nigeria Union of Pensioners, Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees, and their affiliates.
The workers who were led by the Labour leaders, demanded the payment of leave bonuses, payment of gratuities to retirees who have stagnated since the year 2021 and the release of promotion letters for the Years 2021 and 2022.
Speaking with Vanguard, Chairman of TUC, Bosun Olabiyi, summarized some of their agitations, noting that failure of the government to remit deductions from their salaries for cooperatives, and other statutory commitments, among other concerns in the face of current economic hardship caused by fuel subsidy removal, will make the protest continue.
He claimed that various attempts to discuss with the governor to resolve some of their agitations had been unfruitful, saying the government had continued to abuse the rules of engagement.
Similarly, the NLC Chairman in Oyo State, Kayode Martins, said the state organised labour union had been misrepresented in its dialogue with the government, hence the need to have an understanding with the governor in person to resolve their agitations.
However, the state government in its reaction through a statement issued by the Commissioner for Information, Prince Dotun Oyelade and made available to newsmen, called for dialogue on the issue of salary with the leadership of the Nigeria Labour Congress in the state.
Oyelade explained that only three months and not six months of deductions of salary are owed to workers.
He noted that every state in the federation owes workers salary deductions and the three months owed by Oyo State is the least.
Commending the Labour Union for their cooperation in his statement, Oyelade said that the NLC had over the years, shown that they are in support of the present administration in the state.
He however attributed the support to good governance and asked the Labour leadership to reflect on the disposition of government to workers’ welfare.
“While the July salaries have been paid in Oyo State, not less than 20 states, including Ondo, Plateau, Benue and Bayelsa are owing several months of salaries in arrears.
“Several more, including neighbouring states, are owing months of deduction arrears,” Oyelade stated.
Similarly, Oyelade said while the state government started the implementation of the N30,000 minimum wage three years ago, many states are still struggling to pay the old wage.
“While it is the right and entitlement of our workers to access their wages, especially at this tough time, government implores them to reflect on the sincerity of purpose of this administration.
“Despite the challenges of paying wages, over 2,000 civil servants have been promoted, while almost 1,000 others have been converted to regular service.
“For the records, Oyo State pays N7.3bn monthly as salaries, yet collects N5bn as Federal Allocation.
“Because of this, all the N2.8bn raked in as Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) are ploughed back literally to service salaries,” it was stated in the statement.
He however noted that the government needs to be appreciated.
“If despite this tightrope, the government still embarks on such magnitude of
infrastructural projects, that even the NLC has applauded numerously.
“Eminent pundits, including the current Governor of Edo State, Godwin Obaseki have predicted that no state will be able to pay salaries by the end of June this year.
“This is because of the worsening shape of the economy. But Oyo State, due to the deft husbanding of the state resources by Governor Seyi Makinde, has defied the doomsday prediction.
“This is why the state government is confident that the NLC will come to the negotiating table and together with the government chart a realistic path in balancing the welfare of the workers to which the government is committed and the unpleasant economic indices that stare all of us in the face,” he added.
The government, however, urged workers to resume their duty posts and “continue the good work they are known for.”
