From Priscilla Ofunre, Ado-Ekiti
The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) in Ekiti state has advised governor Kayode Fayemi to focus on quick completion of negotiation for the payment of consequential adjustment in the new minimum wage to workers in the state.
The NLC chairman in the state, Comrade Kolapo Olatunde while speaking in Ado-Ekiti on Monday said sacking of workers should not be the priority of the government at the moment rather the implementation of the National template on the consequential adjustment.
It will be recalled that on December 5, over 1000 workers of the Ekiti State University were sacked, while about 200 workers at the Ekiti State University Teaching Hospital (EKSUTH) were also disengaged on new year eve over irregular employment.
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Olatunde revealed that labour had submitted all necessary documents but regretted that government was not forthcoming since the committees had been put in place for the negotiation.
He said, ” I believe what we should be doing as a state now is the negotiation for the payment of consequential adjustment of the new minimum wage and not the issue of sack. And I must say this, nobody talk to us that they will sack people because of the new minimum wage.
” We have inaugurated our committee and we have given the government the template from the national and that is the signed agreement. We have submitted all documents and we have not heard from them (government) since then.”
While lamenting the recent sack of workers in the state, the labour leader said the union was not carried along by the government before its decision to disengage workers in the two institutions.
” I have never seen where more than 1,000 will just be sacked in EKSU and more than 200 in EKSUTH. It is indeed a bad situation.
“If government want to downsize, there is need to call labour for dialogue and tell us why they are doing it and normal protocol should be followed.
” Our letter to the governor is a proactive approach to curtail any further sack and also to request for an opportunity to talk to the governor on this very important issue in the state,” the NLC chairman said.
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When contacted, the Chief Press Secretary to the governor, Yinka Oyebode said the government had since October last year commenced payment of the minimum wage to lower level workers in the state.
He added that negotiations with the labour unions on the consequential adjustments for other categories of workers would soon be completed.
Oyebode said, ” Don’t forget we have commenced payment for workers in that category since October but the consequential adjustment being demanded by labour is the one remaining. However, discussions have reached advanced stage with labour in this regard and very soon everything will be resolved.”
