The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Oyo State branch has said it has given a 24-hour notice before it commences a mass action and paralyse government activities.
This is coming few days to the May 29 swearing-in of the new government of Engineer Seyi Makinde of the Peoples Democratic Party in the state.
NLC Chairman, Comrade Bayo Titlola-Sodo made this disclosure while addressing journalists during Iftar (Fast-breaking) at the NULGE secretariat, Challenge, Ibadan, Wednesday evening.
The impending strike, which commences tomorrow (Friday) according to him, is in solidarity with the primary school teachers who had been on strike since Monday.
On Monday primary school teachers in the state on commenced an indefinite strike due to delay in payment of salaries of public primary school teachers and other requests.
Chairman, Nigeria Union of Teachers, Oyo State wing, Comrade Samson Adedoyin maintained that the strike became necessary due to the inability of the state government to meet demands of the union.
The teachers had last week, issued a 72-hour ultimatum to Oyo state government to clear and settle the backlogs of salaries owed its members.
The union while lamenting unpaid salaries of primary school teachers, gave the state government 72 hours notice or go on an indefinite strike if the situation is not reversed. The union also lamented the complementary allowances of promotions of the teachers.
NUT listed issues worrying the members of the union as non-implementation of the approval and accompany promotion benefits to the primary school teachers by the Oyo State Joint Account Allocation Committee (JAAC). Others are delay in payment of salary to primary school teachers, delay in the promotion of grade level 14 to 15, continuous withholding of 2018 leave grant and delay in the clearance of teachers allegedly accused of illegal promotion.
Titilola-Sodo while speaking on the impeding strike on Wednesday said, “No government should treat workers like slaves. Let there be justice on how we relate with fellow citizens. A number of teething issues had been on ground since 2011 when the outgoing government came into power.
“Primary school teachers are a month behind their colleagues in the civil service. If others get May salary, they will get April salary. This is not like that when Ajimobi took over power. We want the government to reverse it.
"We supposed to commence the strike on Thursday, but we have extended it due to some things. We have now given the government another hours notice.
“The entire workforce in Oyo state will commence the strike by Friday. If the government failed to do something on the plight of the primary school teachers that have been on the strike since Monday, we will commence an indefinite strike action by midnight of Thursday”.
Titilola-Sodo added that the N30,000 minimum wage is not even enough for workers considering the cost of living in the country not forget to touch the issue of minimum wage law recently signed by the President. We all know that if we consider the level of inflation and high prices of essential commodities we rely upon on daily basis for survival, a monthly wage of N30, 000 is even very small to meet these needs on monthly basis”.
The NLC chairman who lauded the Federal Government on the directives to the Nigeria Financial Intelligence Unit on local government allocations, was quick to add that the state government had usurped the powers of the local governments for far too long.
Titlola-Sodo also said there was no excuse for any state government not to pay the new minimum wage of N30, 000 recently signed into law by President Muhammadu Buhari.
Meanwhile, Secondary school teachers have commenced indefinite strike in the state.
It was reported that in some secondary schools in Ibadan, the state capital students in all the secondary schools visited have been asked to go back home by their teachers.
The schools included: Abadina College and Abadina Grammar School located within the premises of the University of Ibadan in Ibadan North Local Government Area.
Others included Ajibode High School and Ajibode Grammar School located in Akinyele Local Government Area.
The students were seen heading home after packing their bags when our correspondent visited the schools on Thursday.
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