Workers and pensioners in Ondo State on Wednesday commenced an indefinite strike to protest non-payment of five months’ salaries and pension.
Labour leaders went round offices at the State Secretariat, Alagbaka, Akure as early as 8am to ensure compliance with the stay-at-home directive given by the Nigeria Labour Congress.
Workers complied largely with the directive as gates of the various ministries were under lock and key, while teachers in public schools sent their pupils and students back home.
Ondo State is one of the oil-producing states in the Niger Delta region, with Lagos joining the league last week.
Speaking, Bose Daramola, the State NLC Chairman, insisted that the strike was the only option left since the state government had reneged on the agreement it reached with labour to pay January and February 2016 salaries on or before May 31.
Daramola said: “I appreciate the efforts of Governor Olusegun Mimiko because he has been leading the government team personally during negotiations with the union, but the agreement reached with us was not fulfilled.
“Local government workers and pensioners were paid up to January 2016, while core workers were only paid up to December 2015.
“I think we have been patient enough.”
Daramola explained that the government had agreed to pay three of the five months before May 31 due to the economic situation in the country.
She said: “Following this, the government paid December 2015 salary on May 3, 2016 and we eagerly awaited the remaining two months’ salary, that is, January and February 2016.
“But when nothing was forthcoming, we are left with no option than to go on strike.
“However, this morning, Governor Mimiko sent a message to us that he was not in the state and that he would meet with us tomorrow.
“Let us hope that it will be fruitful.”
Also speaking, Sunday Adeleye, the State Chairman of the Joint Negotiating Council, said the strike would continue until the state government paid the two months.
Adeleye said: “The ‘considerate workers’ have been pushed to the wall …even the governor cannot fault the strike.
“We are aware of the dwindling federal allocations, but there is internally-generated revenue and the Federal Government said all states should look inwards to improve their IGR.
“But we cannot say that people should not eat because of the dwindling IGR or allocations.
“If the promise was fulfilled even as at yesterday, we would not have embarked on this strike.
“We were called names by members who have lost faith in us, thinking that we were not bothered about their welfare.”
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