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Governor
Olusegun Mimiko addressing protesting workers Image credit: dailypost
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The
workers commenced the industrial action last week Wednesday to protest the
non-payment of their five-month salaries.
The
governor, who was forced to come down from his vehicle to address the
protesters, pleaded with them to suspend the strike, saying the state did not
have enough money to pay the accumulated salary arrears.
The
protesting workers, led by the State Joint Negotiation Council chairman, Sunday
Adeleye; the state Chairman of the Nigeria Labour Congress, Bosede Daramola;
and her Trade Union Congress counterpart, Soladoye Ekundayo, rejected the
governor’s plea.
Mimiko
said the government was ready to pay health and local government workers and
teachers, to enable it to inject some money into the state economy, adding that
when health workers resumed work, they would be able to meet the medical
challenges of the people.
The
governor noted that his administration was considerate and not insensitive to
the plight of the workers.
Mimiko
appealed to them to call off the one-week old strike and considered his
commitment not to retrench any worker in spite of the dwindling resources.
While
saying the continuation of the strike would only retard the economic growth of
the state, the governor charged the people of the state “to see the present situation
in the country as a collective challenge that we must face and proffer
solutions to.”
He
added, “We are in a very difficult time in Nigeria and I have absolutely
nothing against your protest. I can’t imagine somebody working diligently or
not too diligently but worked for five months without pay, especially in an
economy that depends mainly on salary.
“Your
protest has been peaceful and that is what democracy is all about. People must
be able to ventilate their feelings just like you are ventilating yours. But it
is important for us to know the truth because it is the truth that can set us
free.”
But
the governor effort to convince the workers fell into deaf ears as some of them
continued to shout “no salary, no work”, intermittently.
Responding
to the governor’s address, the state chairman of JNC, Adeleye, declared that if
the workers had no signal that the state government was ready to pay their
salary arrears, the indefinite strike would continue.
Apart
from the Government House, the workers also stormed major roads in Akure, the
state capital, to continue the protest.
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Governor Mimiko joins in clearing refuse heaps due to workers' strike Image credit: dailypost
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During
the protest that lasted for over four hours, the workers carried placards with
different inscriptions such as ‘Mimiko, pay our salary’, ‘We can’t feed our
families’, ‘Workers are dying of hunger’, and ‘Ise pupo, iya repete’ (much
work, endless suffering).
It
was learnt that the Ondo State Council of Obas, led by the Osemawe of Ondo, Oba
Victor Kiladejo, had intervened in the industrial dispute as the traditional
rulers were meeting with the leadership of the workers’ unions as of the time
of filing this report.
Government
offices, schools and hospitals were still under lock and key on Thursday as a
result of the strike while the leadership of the labour unions in the state
were moving from one office to the other to monitor the compliance with the
stay-at-home order.
Meanwhile,
following the failure of the workers to suspend the strike, the state governor
and some members of the state executive council moved to the streets of Akure
on Thursday to evacuate refuse by the roadside.
The governor said his
action was to prevent an outbreak of disease in the town.
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