The organised labour in Ogun State has threatened to embark on an industrial strike any moment from today.
Their resolve to down tools is not unconnected to their inability to meet with Gov Dapo Abiodun over the national minimum wage of N30,000.
The organised labour, comprising the Nigeria Labour Congress and the Trade Union Congress, lamented that their several requests to meet Governor Abiodun over the issue were ignored.
Consequently, the workers resolved that due to the alleged delay by the government in the negotiation on the new national minimum wage, they could no longer guarantee industrial harmony in the state.
This was contained in a letter dated November 22, 2019, and addressed to the governor through the Head of Service, Lanre Bisiriyu.
The letter, titled “Concern Over The Delay In The Negotiation on the New National Minimum Wage And Other Sundry Issues”, was jointly signed by the Chairman of the NLC, Emmanuel Bankole and his counterpart in the TUC, Olubunmi Fajobi; the Chairman, Joint Negotiating Council, Folorunso Bankole and the Secretary, Adebiyi Olusegun.
According to the union, “the government’s failure to hold a formal meeting with the labour portends that the latter (labour) is seen as inconsequential in the algorithms of advancing the cause of our dear state but as well has been positioned on master-servant scale of industrial relationship.”
The body, however, asked Abiodun to set up negotiating committee on the minimum wage on or before Friday (today) or risk industrial disharmony.
As at the close of work on Thursday, checks by Dexterity Portal confirmed that the governor had not yielded to the request of the workers who are asking him to set up a negotiating committee.
The labour unions argued that the “industrial peace currently being experienced in the state may not be assured any further in the event that our call received no further action not later than Friday, 6th December 2019.”
Meanwhile, the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Kunle Somorin, said there was no cause for alarm.
Somorin explained that the governor had reassured the organised labour of his commitment to enter into negotiation with the workers on the minimum wage; adding that the issues had been taken care of in the proposed 2020 budget presented on Tuesday.