S/West labour leaders plead with OBJ over unpaid salaries, allowances

The leadership of the Trade Union Congress (TUC), in the South West, on Tuesday, pleaded with former President Olusegun Obasanjo, to intervene in the failure of the governors of the geo-political zone to pay outstanding salaries and allowances of workers.

The labour leaders, who visited the Abeokuta home of Obasanjo, said their visit became necessary in view of the position of the former president whom they described as “father of the nation.”

The leaders included Comrade Akinyemi Olatunji (Osun), Francis Ogunremi (Lagos), Andrew Emelieze (Oyo), Clement Fatunase (Ondo Secretary), Adebisi Adebayo (Ekiti Secretary), Gbenga Ekundayo (Lagos), Bola Fajulugbe (Ekiti Women Leader) and Olaniyi Okewole (Ogun Secretary) and led by the zone coordinator, Comrade Bunmi Fajobi.

Fajobi, while addressing newsmen after a closed door meeting with Obasanjo said, they believed that the former president’s intervention would go a long way in ameliorating the plight of workers in the South West.

The TUC boss, who doubles as the state chairman of the union, noted that the former president was a man to be reckoned with and that he is revered by the governors as a voice that must be respected.

Some of the demands of the union included non-payment of workers’ salaries running into about 13 months, unremitted contributory pensions’ deductions running to 19 months as well as unremitted cooperative deductions among others.

Fajobi said, “As labour leaders, we are particularly disturbed about the issue of unpaid salaries in our states and we mobilise that the sweat of workers must not be in vain. We know that Obasanjo has the ears of these governors and that is why we are seeking his assistance to intervene in the matter.”