Oyo Workers Commence Three-Day Warning Strike

The three labour centres in Oyo State which includes: the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), the Trade Union Congress (TUC), and the Joint Negotiating Council (JNC), have directed workers in the state to stay off their duty posts for three days, starting from Wednesday, January 24, 2018.

Commencing the three-day warning strike today, the group demands that the state government addresses the 13 weeks old strike of the state- owned tertiary institutions, the sack of 256 members of staff of Ladoke Akintola University Teaching Hospital (LAUTECH), Ogbomoso, lingering complaints of workers in the health sector as presented by the Joint Health Sector Union, among other issues.

Other issues that prompted the strike the group said include the unpaid pensions and gratuities of retired primary school teachers accumulating to 56 months, and stall in workers’ promotion since 2010.

NLC Chairman, Waheed Olojede, who spoke alongside Chairman, JNC/TUC, Mr Emmanuel Ogundiran, and JAC executives of the tertiary institutions, told journalists that the state
government had shown continued insensitivity to the plight of workers of the state’s tertiary
institutions who were owed 17 months salaries.

Olojede then asked the state government to rescind its decision to sack 256 members of staff of LAUTECH teaching hospital, noting the woes, hardship and state of hopelessness of the sacked workers.

He added that the workers were directed to stay at home in solidarity with their other affected workers to include those working in the service of local government owed salaries.

A resolution released in relation to the strike read, “While reviewing and assessing labour issues in the state, the state executive councils (SECs) of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), the Trade Union Congress (TUC) and the Joint Negotiating Council (JNC) at their joint meeting of Monday January 22, 2018 viewed with utmost dismay, the continued insensitivity of Oyo state government to the plight of our members in government-owned tertiary institutions who are owed up to 17 months arrears of salaries and retired primary school teachers who are owed 56 months pension and also not paid any gratuity since this government came into power. “Equally is the sack of 256 members of JOHESU in LAUTECH teaching hospital, Ogbomoso, and other issues contained in our letter under reference.

“Premised on the foregoing, the SECs-in-session of NLC, TUC and JNC resolved to direct their members in the public/civil of Oyo state to withdraw their services and embark on a three days warning strike from Wednesday 24th to Friday 26th January, 2018.”
The release was jointly signed by, NLC State Secretary, Mr Kofo Ogundeji; TUC State Secretary, Mr Falegbe Mayowa; JNC Assistant State Secretary, Mr Olabode Akinfenwa.