19th July, 2011
Workers in Oyo State today began indefini strike over minimum wage as they locked major gates at the secretariat.
All the gates leading into the Oyo State House of Assembly were shut, thus preventing the state legislators from sitting.
At the secretariat, all the officess were deserted as no worker turned up for work. Only security personnel and political office holders came to work.
At the time of filing this report, the management of the University College Hospital, UCH, were meeting with the Deputy Governor, Chief Moses Adejumo Alake.
Also, all the gates of the local government secretariats in the state were locked, while the staff that turned up for work were seen standing and discussing the development at the gate.
Some members of the Nigeria Labour Union (NLC), state chapter, mobilised themselves and were seen beating up some staff that wanted to work.
Also affected were public schools which were also shut eventhough the teachers came to school but did not work.
The students of the public schools were seen going back to their homes while some stayed back to play in school.
The workers who spoke with P.M.NEWS said that they decided to start their strike action a day before the national strike because the government of Abiola Ajimobi has not been sincere in the negotiation about minimum wage.
They said that he wants to pay them less than the N18,000 minimum wage.
They said that even when the three-day nationwide warning strike is called off next Monday, they will continue with their own strike.
“Ajimobi thinks that he can play a fast game with us. Does he think he is the only one that went to school? Some of us are better educated than Ajimobi. He is only priviledged to a governor. Better and more qualified people are among the civil servants. He should stop bragging about school, certificate and his connections, becaues he is not the best on earth. It is N18,000 minimum wage accross board or nothing,” the aggrieved workers told our correspondent.
Aonother worker who refused to mention her name said Ajimobi should not think that he was the one voted for during the 26 April election. People voted for ACN and change because they were tirerd of Akala and PDP governmenr that has destroyed the state over the years.
“What we are even hearing about him is not impressive. They said that he is not respecting the party and he is no longer listening to the party leaders. Besides, all the people that worked for his success during the governorship have been sidelined. He should know that four years is not far. Before he knows it, four years have come and gone and he will come back to us to beg for votes. We are waiting. If this is how Gover Raji Fashola spent his first term in Lagos, he would not have had the opportunity to come back,” she said.
—Gbenro Adesina