Intervene in our dispute with govt, Kogi NLC, TUC tell traditional rulers

The organisedlabour in Kogi has called on prominent traditional rulers in the state to intervene in the ongoing industrial dispute in the state.

The Trade Union Congress (TUC), Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Joint Public Service Negotiating Council (JPSNC) made the call in a statement issued in Lokoja, on Saturday, the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reported.

The unions said their call for the intervention of the traditional rulers followed a recent charge given by President Muhammadu Buhari to traditional rulers to mount pressure on state governors to pay workers’ salaries.

In a statement signed by Mr Olakunle Faniyi, Mr Kolawole James and Mr Isah Abubakar of TUC, NLC and JPSNC respectively, they urged the traditional rulers not to turn their backs on the plight of their members.

Workers in the state embarked on strike on September 22, demanding payment of outstanding salary arrears, leave bonuses, among others.

The workers called on the Kogi State government to set up a team to dialogue with them over their demands, instead of embarking on propaganda.

Faniyi, James and Abubakar also frowned at the use of threat, intimidation and dishing out of outright falsehood about their dispute by those they referred to as  agents of the state government.

According to them, “the threat of no-work-no-pay in a circular sent to ministries, departments and agencies by the Secretary to the State Government, Mrs Folashade  Ayoade, will not in any way make the workers abandon the struggle.”

However, Director-General, Media and Publicity to the governor, Mr Kingsley Fanwo, in a statement insisted that the signatories to the unions’ letter to the government were not civil servants in the state.

Also, the state chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) called on the state government to quickly resolve its industrial dispute with the labour unions.

Publicity Secretary of the party, Mr Bode Ogunmola, the in a statement, urged government to make workers’ welfare a priority and halt what he called the “gradual trend of the state to stagnation.”

He urged government to urgently address the workers’ grievances and refrain from the temptation to criminalise or politicise the strike.