No excuse on N30,000 minimum wage, Oyo NLC tells Ajimobi, Makinde

THE Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Oyo State council has sent a strong warning to the incumbent governor and the governor-elect in the state, Senator Abiola Ajimobi and Engineer Seyi Makinde, that it will not tolerate any excuse from their administration on implementation of the new minimum wage which has been signed to law.

The union said what is paramount to it now is the welfare of its members and expressed its regret that its welfare package has been turned to political tantrum and drama between the outgoing and incoming administration in the state.

In its request, the union then demanded that “workers deserve the best welfare package. The only discussion labour is interested in, are the lingering issues deserving urgent attention and solution” to its series of outstanding salaries, gratuities and other emoluments.

The union made this known in a statement dated issued and signed by its secretary, Comrade Ibrahim Mohammed and made available to journalists in Ibadan, on Sunday.

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According to the letter, the union then demanded an urgent meeting of government representatives with the union’s hierarchy in the state to resolve several lingering issues and urgent attention to the outstanding backlog of salaries and entitlements.

Parts of its demands include; outstanding 2011 salary of JOHESU workers, outstanding salaries of workers in some local governments, outstanding pension of retired local government staff and primary school teachers, permanent one-month arrears of salary in the primary education sector, outstanding salaries of workers in tertiary institutions and a backlog of gratuities.

In its statement, the union said “the state leadership of Nigeria Labour Congress has been following with keen interest, the political bickering and over dramatisation of differences currently unfolding between the outgoing and incoming administration in the state, which unfortunately and with great concern has been extended to the critical interest of the workers in the state ‘N30,000 minimum wage’ and other wide range of government activities and issues bothering on the core value/welfare of Oyo state citizenry.

” We are deeply disappointed and compelled to hereby express our displeasure at the way and manner the issue of the minimum wage is been politicised in the state. The NLC wishes to categorically state that no excuse or excuses shall be tolerated from either the incumbent or incoming government on implementation of the new minimum wage which has been signed into law.

“The theme of 2019 May day celebration ” Another 100 years of struggle for jobs, dignity and social justice in Nigeria” is still fresh in our mind and hence, NLC shall resist all forms of slavery, scapegoatism, suffering and other negative variables currently been experienced by workers in Oyo state. Enough is enough.”