Oyo state workers to Begin Indefinite strike on May 26
Following their Osun state counterparts, Oyo State members of the Nigeria Labour Congress have resolved to begin an indefinite strike on Tuesday.
The Chairman of the union in the state, Waheed Olojede, stated this after a meeting of the executive on Monday, saying the industrial action is part of efforts to protest months of unpaid salaries and retirees’ pensions and in compliance with the directive of the National executive.
He said, “You are all aware sufficiently that in the last few months in Nigeria, many state governments owe their workers salaries and pensions. Oyo State is one of those states. In the last few months, we have commenced negotiation with the state government on how best to pay outstanding salaries and pensions of the workers and retirees.
“We were on the process until last Friday when the national headquarters of the NLC issued a directive, instructing all state councils of NLC, where governments are owing salaries and pensions, to begin industrial action as from today, Monday 25, 2015.
“We have gotten in touch with the national leadership of NLC to make clarification on the action. Even when we notified them that the state NLC had commenced negotiation with the state government, the directive from the national headquarters insisted that notwithstanding our local arrangement, we must comply and begin industrial action.
“Because of this and the fact that no state council has the power to defy the authority of the national NLC, we immediately called a meeting of the state executive to review the directive and our process of negotiation.
“We therefore resolve that because of the law that established NLC, no state congress is higher than the national body. Arising from this position, we therefore resolved that we are left with no other option than to direct all workers in Oyo State to respect the national directive and stay at home from Tuesday.”
He added that as soon as a resolution was reached, the state council would approach the national headquarters of the NLC with the view to getting the permission for the workers to resume work.
