From: Laide Raheem, Abeokuta
The Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC), Ogun State chapter, has appealed to the state government to recall all labour leaders it sacked in 2016 for alleged misconduct to foster industrial peace in the state.
In the same vein, the labour union urged the state government to pay the October 2016 workers’ salary it withheld for embarking on strike action.
The state chapter of the NLC, which equally called on Sen. Ibikunle Amosun-led government to offset unremitted co-operative deductions and union dues, emphasised that honouring these demands would go a long way in fostering industrial peace in the state.
Chairman of NLC in the state, Messr. Akeem Ambali made these appeals while addressing journalists, in Abeokuta, on the activities lined up to commemorate the 2017 Workers’Day Celebration on May 1.
The state government had suspended 19 labour leaders and sacked 16 others for their alleged partisan politics by receiving money from a politician and hiring a musician to sing praises of the said politician.
It had, however, since recalled all the 16 suspended and 12 of the sacked labour leaders with the fate of the remaining four – Messrs Akeem Ambali (NLC Chairman), Dare Ilekoya (NUT Chairman), Eniola Atiku and Nola Balogun, undecided.
Ambali, who had denied being involved in any “misconduct or partisan politics”, therefore, urged the government to recall the four others to enhance cordial relationship between the government and labour.
He was also optimistic that the state governor who had promised to pay the October, 2016 salary and all unremitted deductions would make good his promises noting “the fulfillment of the promise, particularly, with a clear demonstration of a sense of forgiveness would add more glamour to the celebration and also endear Amosun to the hearts of the workers”.
Ambali added: “Industrial dispute is not a new thing in labour/government relationship. We are bound to disagree, fight, come back, reconcile and move forward. The government should not mistake the labour for politicians.
“We are not part of the political challenge or struggle of the Ogun State government. We are agitators. We agitate for the collective interest of the Ogun workers. We are never political and not partisan and we don’t want to engage in politics.
“Our role and mandate is clear. Let not the people who are seeking undue patronage from government go to misinform, mislead and misdirect and pitch the government against the labour.
“Our demand is legitimate because we know that Ogun is not a poor state and all the ongoing gigantic projects in the state attest to this.
“All we are asking the government is to prioritize by according human capital development a special place as it is only a living worker that can walk on the roads being constructed”.
He, therefore, disclosed that NLC had planned a number of activities for the celebration of Workers’ Day which include merit awards, lectures, football competitions among others.