BY ABIODUN NEJO
Public workers in Ekiti State on Thursday shunned their work places on Thursday in compliance with the warning strike called by the organized labour at the national level over minimum wage.
The Governor’s Office, State Secretariat, federal and state parastatals and government owned primary and secondary schools were under lock and keys.
Although banks in Ado Ekiti, the state capital, initially opened for services, they were forced to shut their doors following alleged threats of picketing from Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress (TUC).
But commercial activities were in full bloom as markets, shops, business ventures, fuel stations and transport operators were at work.
The leadership of the organized labour in Ekiti State had earlier directed all the workers in the state to join the nationwide strike.
The labour leaders had said the directive included commercial drivers, Okada operators, banks, market men and women who they directed to stay off businesses.
TUC State Chairman, Comrade Odunayo Adesoye, who spoke on behalf of the labour leaders, expressed satisfaction with the level of compliance on the first day of the nationwide strike
Adesoye assured that the strike would be total in Ekiti State, saying the body had already entered into agreement with Civil Society Organisations to ensure its success.
He said the leadership of the labour centres in Ekiti State had also agreed to coalesce and ensure the success of the nationwide strike without fail.
Justifying the industrial action, Adesoye insisted that the present minimum wage to workers had impoverished the workforce, adding that time had come for workers to begin to savour the fruits of their labour through a package that could truly take them home.
He hinted on the possibility of the organized labour picketting those places where the strike appeared ineffective on its first day, saying: “We expect that the banks, commercial drivers, Okada operators and sole business owners will participate in this strike. We have reached out to the Civil Society Organisations to ensure will mobilize for the strike
“We are not going to shy away from picketing areas that fail to conform with our directive as given from Abuja,” he said.