Ekiti workers suspend strike as lawmakers intervene

NAN also reports that the lawmakers had, early on Monday, organised a meeting with the executive arm of government and the leadership of the organised labour.

The meeting was organised by the Assembly Committee on Public Matters, Chaired by Mr Oluwajuwa Adegbuyi, at the Assembly’s complex, Ado-Ekiti.

Addressing newsmen after the meeting, the Chairman, Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Ekiti chapter, Mr Olatunde Kolapo, said the organised labour decided to suspend the warning strike due to the intervention of the lawmakers.

He also hinged the decision on the assurance from members of the Assembly that some of their demands would be implemented.

“The House of Assembly has actually intervened and the honourable members have looked into our demands one after the other. To God be the glory, almost all our demands have been acceded to.

“Because of the position which the Assembly has taken, we will begin to work together to see to the implementation of the proposal.

“We, therefore, urge our members, who are presently at home to please, as from tomorrow, go back to their places of work.

“If the government fails to implement the new agreement reached with us at the end of the day, we have only, we will embark on the strike again, because we have only suspended it; we have not called it off, “ Kolapo said.

NAN reports that in the new agreement signed by government and the organised labour and which was presented by the NLC chairman, the former pledged to ensure continuous payment of workers’ monthly salaries.

Part of the agreement also was to effect the payment of the financial benefits of 2015 promotion in September, while payment for 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2019 would follow.

It was also agreed upon that the negotiation on the implementation of the minimum wage and consequential adjustment would resume as soon as COVID-19 subsided.

NAN reports that labour had earlier directed civil servants in the state to embark on a three-day warning strike, beginning from Monday, to compel the state government to accede to their demands.

Earlier, the chairman of Assembly Committee on Public Matters, said that the meeting was to find solutions to the demands of the workers.

He thanked the labour leaders for honouring the invitation, promising that their demands would be attended to, if possible, with necessary legislation, to promote industrial peace and harmony.

“As representatives of the people, part of our mandate is to be arbiters, especially in the ongoing industrial disharmony.

“We want to assure you that the Assembly, under the leadership of the Speaker, Mr Funminiyi Afuye, will ensure that your demands are conveyed to the executive for possible resolution,” Adegbuyi said.

Also speaking, the state Head of Service, Mrs Peju Babafemi, restated the commitment of the Gov. Kayode Fayemi-led administration to the welfare of the citizenry, especially workers.

She assured that government would not hesitate to implement some of the demands by labour as soon as the economy improved.

Present at the meeting were the Chairman, Trade Union Congress, Ekiti chapter, Mr Sola Adigun and the Chairman, Joint Negotiation Council (NJC), Mr Kayode Ifatomiluyi.

The Senior Special Adviser to the Governor on Labour Matters, Mr Oluyemi Esan and the Leader of Government Business in the Assembly, Chief Gboyega Aribisogan, were also present at the meeting.