Ekiti Labour To Protest Over Minimum Wage

The organized labour in Ekiti State has resolved to mobilise for protest in the first week of January to demand payment of minimum wage and consequential adjustment to public sector workers.

Labour comprising Nigeria Labour Congress, Trade Union Council and Joint Negotiating Council rose from a meeting on Tuesday to insist on the payment of the minimum wage, as agreed between the state government and organized labour last Tuesday, and the implementation effective from January.

Trouble started on Thursday last week when labour accused the state government of bringing in fresh proposal as against the one earlier agreed upon and billed to be signed that day following which the organised labour reverted to congress on Tuesday.

In the communique at the end of the congress made available to journalists on Wednesday, the organized labour, among others, resolved that “the agreed new minimum wage and consequential adjustment table should be sustained without any concession” and that “implementation should commence for payment in January 2021 with the accruable arrears from April 2020”.

The communique was signed by the state chairmen, Kolapo Olatunde (NLC), Sola Adigun (TUC) and Kayode Fatomiluyi (JNC); and the secretaries, Mrs Akinyemi Taiwo (NLC), Kuloogun Lawrence (TUC) and Gbenga Olowoyo (JNC).

The organised labour resolved that “failure on the part of the state government to implement the new minimum wage and consequential adjustment as negotiated, as well as various outstanding arrears, the organized labour should mobilise workers for peaceful protest in the first week of January 2021”.

They resolved that “all arrears of promotions for years 2017, 2018 and 2019; arrears of leave bonuses for years 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2020 as well as six years for local governments, subvented institutions and four years for state workers salary arrears and deductions should be paid in earnest”.

Other resolution at the congress included that “the organized labour should with immediate effect report to the enlarged workers at the State Secretariat complex to allow adequate information to the generality of the workforce”.

The Congress, on the occasion, passed a vote of confidence on the leadership of the organized labour in the state and resolved “to sustain the tempo of good leadership and followership”.