Oyo Workers Seal Govt Secretariat Gate, Demand Review Of Allowances

There was uproar at the Oyo State government secretariat at Agodi in Ibadan, the state capital, on Monday after workers sealed the entrance gate to demand an upward review of their allowances.

Naija News understands that the workers are demanding palliatives, an upward review of pension allowances, and payment of salary deduction, among others.

The civil workers are also demanding payment of leave bonuses, payment of gratuities to retirees who have stagnated since the year 2021 and the release of promotion letters for the years 2021 and 2022.

The protesters were workers and pensioners under the banners of the Nigeria Labour Congress, Trade Union Congress, Nigeria Union of Pensioners, Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees, and their affiliates, this news platform understands.

We Are Not Going On Strike – NLC Tells FG, Reveals Plan

Meanwhile, the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has told the Solicitor-General of the Federation and Permanent Secretary Ministry of Justice that it does not plan on going on strike or carrying out any industrial action.

Naija News reports that organised labour had proposed to carry out a protest on Wednesday, August 2, over the removal of subsidy on petrol, its attendant hardship on Nigerians and the inability of the government to roll out palliatives to cushion the harsh effect of the stoppage of subsidy payment.

Ahead of the protest, the Solicitor-general of the federation had stated that if the NLC carried on with its plans, it would be disobeying a subsisting court order.

But in a letter from the Falana Chambers to the Permanent Secretary/Solicitor-General with the title, ‘Re-NLC in contempt of court,” signed by Sam Ogala Esq., the NLC pointed out that there is no order, be it interim, interlocutory or perpetual order from either the National Industrial Court or any other court restraining Nigerian workers from participating in peaceful rallies convened by it.

According to the NLC, there is a subsisting judgement that the right to demonstrate and to protest on matters of public concern are rights that are in the public interest, which individuals must possess and exercise without impediment as long as no wrongful act is done.