Tribune / Nigeria: National leadership of the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC), led by Mr Ayuba Wabba, had directed all workers in Oyo State to begin an indefinite strike on Tuesday.
Wabba, represented by National Vice President, NLC, Mr Adelegan Solomon, handed down this directive while addressing hundreds of workers, who had converged on Oyo Labour House, Agodi, Ibadan, on Monday.
The “sit-at-home” order of the NLC was premised on the non-payment of six months outstanding salaries of civil servants, as well as pension arrears, while also calling on the state government to immediately withdraw all trump-up charges levelled against the detained Labour leaders granted bail.
In addition, the NLC called on the state government to rescind its “decision to sell-off public schools in the state,” while calling for adequate funding of the education sector of the state.
Speaking further, Adelegan nullified a purported letter written by leader of the state’s Joint Negotiating Council, dissociating the council from the demands of the Labour movement.
Meanwhile, the seven Labour leaders detained for disrupting last week’s stakeholders’ meeting over the controversial education policy were released from Agodi prison at about 12.30 p.m.
The Labour leaders, Mr Waheed Olojede, Sikiru Sodo, Oseni Aderemi, Oparinde Kehinde, Falade Akinyele, Ogundeji Kofoworola and Adegbogun Titi, were welcomed to Labour House with loud applaud from members.
NLC chairman, Oyo State chapter, Mr Waheed Olojede, in his address, aligned with the decision and demands of the NLC national leadership, noting that the Labour movement would shutdown the state from Tuesday.
He appealed to workers to remain calm and be of peaceful conduct, while directing all workers to resume at LabourHouse on Tuesday for further directives.
In the light of this, the Oyo State government ordered the immediate closure of all primary and secondary schools in the state.
The government, however, urged workers to rethink their decision to go on strike, but should report at their duty posts.
Furthermore, the statement urged parents to caution their children and wards against “unlawful gathering” or protest, noting that law enforcement agents had been empowered to disperse unlawful assemblies.
In the statement, the state government chided the decision of the leadership of the NLC to declare total strike, as contravening Labour laws and conventions, noting that there was no existing Labour dispute or ultimatum given to the government.
The state government reiterated that that government had no intention to privatise, commercialise or cede any of its public or secondary schools to any individual or group, but rather partner willing stakeholders “in the participatory management of a negligible number of the public secondary schools, which may not be more than 10 per cent of the existing 631 schools in the end.
“Workers, who have been directed to embark on strike over a matter that is still in the conception stage, should have a rethink and report at their duty posts, while the government intensifies efforts to clear arrears of salary.”
