CIVIL servants in Oyo State returned to their desks on Monday, calling off a week-long strike. The strike was called by the state’s chapters of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC), Nigeria Union of Pensioners (NUP) and the Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE).
The strike, which paralysed government activities during the period, began on July 31 to protest the non-payment of salary deductions, leave bonuses and also to demand a review of pension allowances.
SEE ALSO: Let Me Breathe, I Don’t Want To Die; By Owei Lakemfa
The workers demanded that Governor Seyi Makinde must address them personally and not through proxies on all contentious issues before they would call off the strike.
Consequently, the governor addressed the aggrieved workers at the entrance of the civil service secretariat on Monday.
He appealed to the workers to return to work and assured them that their demands would be looked into in due course.
SEE ALSO: Women Struggles Against Direct Taxation In Nigeria, 1929-1930; By Izielen Agbon
Mr Makinde noted that the one-week protest had impacted the state’s internally generated revenue negatively and pledged that quarterly meetings would be held with union leaders to address workers’ demands.
In his remarks, the NLC chairperson in Oyo State, Kayode Martins, said the unions decided to end the protest because the governor had yielded to some of their demands.
SEE ALSO: Monthly Focus For August 2023: Thriving In Difficult Times And Seasons; By Pastor Favour Onoja
“Also, the governor just promised to give speedy attention to other demands,” he noted. (NAN)
