From Priscilla Ediare, Ado-Ekiti
The Organized Labour in Ekiti State, on Monday rejected the withdrawal of minimum wage and consequential adjustment on the salaries of workers by the state government.
The labour also kicked against the removal of subventions to some schools in Ekiti.
Stakeholders, comprising government, led by Governor Kayode Fayemi, traditional rulers, workers and organised labour had met a couple of weeks and discussed the dwindling revenues to the state.
Governor Fayemi at the meeting submitted that the state was finding it extremely difficult to pay workers’ salaries owing to nosediving revenues from the federation account.
Part of the resolution reached at the meeting was the outright removal of the N30,000 minimum wage and consequential adjustment effected for workers last year, so that the government can revert to the N18,000 old minimum wage.
But the workers in a statement in Ado- Ekiti on Monday, described the actions as unacceptable.
The statement was jointly signed by the Chairmen of the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC), Com. Kolapo Olatunde, Trade Union Congress(TUC), Com. Sola Adigun and Joint Negotiating Council (JNC), Com Kayode Fatomiluyi respectively.
It stated that; “the organized Labour in Ekiti State met today with Mr Governor, Dr Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti State on the state of the economy in the State.
“We expressed the position of the entire workforce to Mr Governor that Workers of Ekiti State rejected any withdrawal of minimum wage and consequential adjustment payment of the State which is a product of a process that has been signed into law.
“In the same vein, the Organized Labour rejected any stoppage of subventions to all the subvented institutions in Ekiti State.
“Also, the State Organized Labour, viewed any attempt under any guise to further impoverish the living standard of workers and all vulnerable groups in Ekiti State as inhuman and unacceptable.”
To this end, the Organized Labour advocated for the inclusion of GL 13-GL 17 in the implementation of the consequential adjustment payment among other arrears of workers welfare.
The leadership of the Organized Labour promised the entire workers that “there is no way we will comprise on the welfare of workers in the state, hence, workers should be rest assured of our commitment at all time to their yearnings and aspirations.”