BY ABIODUN NEJO
The organised labour in Ekiti State has said that the industrial action called by the national leadership of Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress (TUC) over new national minimum wage will be total in the state.
The leadership of the organized labour in Ekiti State, while directing all workers in the state to join the strike, said that the action would affect both public and private sectors.
The strike, billed to commence by 12 midnight Tuesday as declared by NLC and TUC, is expected to have a binding force on all labour affiliates to press the federal and state governments to accede to their requests for a new minimum wage for workers across the country.
State Chairmen of TUC, Comrade Odunayo Adesoye and his counterpart in NLC, Com. Ade Adesanmi, directed that workers, including commercial drivers, okada operators, banks, market men and women should stay off businesses was given by the
The TUC boss, speaking on behalf of the labour leaders, said the strike action would be total in Ekiti, saying the body had already entered into agreement with civil society organisations to ensure its success.
According to him, the leaderships of the labour centres in Ekiti had agreed to coalesce and ensure the success of the nationwide strike.
Adesoye stated 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.
“The strike action in Ekiti commencing from tomorrow will be total. It is going to be a total paralysis, because both public and private sectors will be affected.
“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.
“This is a fight that has to do with our collective destiny. We must ensure that our commonwealth should be evenly distributed. It should not be concentrated in the hands of a few Nigerian leaders to begin to feed fat on the nation.
“What they said they are giving us is a take home, but what we are getting cannot take us half home in the real sense of it, so we must demand for a fair share of our national treasure.
“By tomorrow in Ekiti, we direct all workers in the private and public sectors to stay at home”, Adesoye directed.
