Unpaid entitlements: Ogun govt, labour leaders in crucial meeting

Ahead of the planned protest slated for Tuesday, the Ogun State Government is in a crucial meeting with the national leadership of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) to discuss issues raised by workers over alleged labour policies of the Senator Ibikunle Amosun-led administration.

Tribune Online gathered that the National President of NLC, Comrade Ayuba Wabba, led labour leaders to the meeting at the Governor’s office, Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta.

It will be recalled that Wabba had in a letter written and addressed to Amosun informed him about the decision of the National Working Committee of the Union to protest and demand payment of all outstanding entitlements of workers and pensioners in the state.

The meeting which is still ongoing at the time of filing this report is expected to address payment of gratuity owed retirees; liquidation of about 104 months arrears of withheld statutory deductions; reinstatement of Comrade Akeem Ambali, the state NLC chairman and payment of his salaries and entitlements.

Other issues include reversal of the proscription of trade unions at the Tai Solarin College of Education, Omu; settlement of salary arrears owed workers of TASCE and inauguration of a Governing Council in the institution since none had been in place since 2008.

The outcome of the meeting would determine whether NLC will embark on or shelve it’s planned protest.

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Addressing newsmen prior to the meeting, Wabba said the organised labour was ready to dialogue with the state government with an open mind.

He explained that the protest had no political undertone as being speculated in some quarters, saying he was not in the state to protect workers welfare.

Wabba said that no amount of threat from the government would stop workers from holding the protest, submitting that the union was acting under the provision of the law as contained in Section 40 of the Nigerian Constitution.

“It is a global right to protest. We are going to exercise the rights as provided by the constitution. We have done all communications to the state government. There is no state in Nigeria that has this kind of issue. We must respect the dignity of labour.

“We are ready for dialogue and where dialogue fails, our workers are already on the ground. We have followed all dialogue processes,” he added.