Oyo workers in a showdown with Makinde, observe Juma’t prayer outside the secretariat main gate
•Vow to continue protest, Monday
Aggrieved Oyo State workers and pensioners under the umbrella of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), the Trade Union Congress (TUC) and the Nigeria Union of Pensioners (NUP) on Friday, made good their threats to observe the Jumat prayer in front of Government Secretariat, to press home their demands from the state government.
The workers who had embarked on a protest since Monday, July 31, had vowed not to end until Governor Seyi Makinde addressed their demands.
The main entrance of the state secretariat had been blocked since the protests began, a situation that had affected the free flow of vehicular movements.
Workers were discouraged from entering the state Secretariat to resume the day’s work and join the protest.
Among the requests of the workers are payment of salary deductions, palliatives for workers, upward review of pension allowances, payment of leave bonus, payment of gratuities to retirees who have been stagnated since the year 2021 and release of promotion letters for the Year 2021 and 2022.
Vice Chairman of, the Joint Negotiating Council( Public Service) in the state, Olanipekun Oluwaseun, said the Jumat prayer held at the main gate of the secretariat might not be necessary if the governor had shown up to address the workers.
Also speaking, the chairman of Nigeria Labour Congress Oyo State chapter, Kayode Martin called on Governor Makinde to address their demands, noting that if the demands were not addressed, the union would not call off the industrial action going on in the state.
He further said that by the end of the day, the union would call for a congress and decide on the next line of action if their demands were not addressed.
