The true position of things in the state came to fore recently when workers who could not tolerate the excuses of the government declared an indefinite strike over the alleged refusal of the state government to pay their 21-month salary deductions.Declaring the government of Governor Abiodun as insensitivity to workers’ “welfare”, organisers of the strike including the leadership of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Trade Union Congress (TUC) and Joint Negotiating Committee, (JNC), said they took the decision to embark on strike following the expiration of the seven-day ultimatum issued to the Governor over his government’s non payment of eight-year statutory leave allowances and breach of the State Pension Reform Law, 2006 (amended 2013) in the implementation of the Contributory Pension Scheme, amongst other demands.
Chanting songs of solidarity against the government at the courtyard of the government house in Oke Mosan, the workers berated Abiodun for failing to honour the agreement contained in the Memorandum of Understanding( MoU) in 2020.
Declaring the strike action, the Chairman of the NLC in the state, Emmanuel Bankole, said the strike became imperative following several failed attempts to meet the governor over their plights.
He lamented that the government had failed to respond to over seven letters written to the government on the issue.
Bankole directed all the workers in the employ of the state government to stay away from work, adding that the strike would be a total and indefinite one, declaring that there was no going back until their demands were met by the governor.
He said, “We are here today to take our destiny in our own hands. The leadership is ready. We must start a new beginning, we must tell them (government) that we are workers and we are not slaves. The time is now, a stop must be put to this.
“Our future and the future of the workers of Ogun State is in great jeopardy. Governance is a serious business and whoever that is not ready for it, I think it is time we tell such person go home.
“Having given them enough time, they are so busy to attend to us. Maybe if we go home for some time, they will have time to attend to our matter.
“There is no going back. We have given them so long rope to draw.
“It is my opinion and my conviction that Ogun State workers are saying that we should embark on a full-blown strike.
“We are embarking on an indefinite strike from 12 midnight, let all the workers stay back at home. The implication is that nobody is expected at work tomorrow.
“Anyone who reports for duty on Tuesday is a traitor and it has never been well with a traitor.”.
