The organise Labour in Ekiti has suspended their three-day warning strike as the state House of Assembly wade-in to sue for industrial harmony through negotiations.
The Chairman, Nigeria Labour Congress, (NLC), Ekiti chapter, Mr Olatunde Kolapo gave the disclosure at the Tripatite meeting among the Executive, Ekiti Assembly and leadership of the organised labour on Monday in Ado-Ekiti.
The meeting was organised by the Assembly Committee on Public Matters, Chaired by Mr Oluwajuwa Adegbuyi at the Assembly’s complex,Ado-Ekiti.
Addressing newsmen after the meeting the NLC Chairman, said the organised labour decided to suspend the warning strike due to the intervention and assurance of the Assembly members to ensure implementation of some of their demands.
“The House of Assembly has actually interfered and they have looked into our demands one after the other. To God be the glory nearly all our demands have been acceded to.
“Because of the position the house has taken, from here we are beginning to work together to see to the implementation of the proposal.
“We therefore urge our members at home to please as from tomorrow go back to their various respective place of work.
“If the government fails to implement the new agreement with us at the end of the day, we have only suspended the strike and not call-off, we will embark on the strike again,”Kolapo said.
In the new agreement presented by the NLC chairman signed by government and organised labour, government agreed to ensure continuous payment of monthly salaries of workers.
Also, the payment of the financial benefit of 2015 promotion will be implemented in September, while payment of the subsequent years, 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2019 will follow.
Another one was that the negotiation on the implementation of the minimum wage and consequential adjustment will resume as soon as COVID-19 subsides.
The organised labour has called for a three day warning strike to demand what they referred to as poor welfarism of their members and as well as that of the pensioners in Ekiti.
The union was also demanding, the reverse of the alleged unjust disengagement of over 100 workers at the State University in December, 2019 among others.
Earlier, Adegbuyi said that the meeting was to find solutions to the demand of the organised labour.
The Chairman thanked the labour leaders for honouring the invitation, promising that their demands would be attended to if possible with necessary legislation to promote industrial peace and harmony.
“As representatives of the people, parts of our mandate is to be arbiters, especially in the ongoing industrial disharmony.
“We assure that the state Assembly under the leadership of the Speaker, Mr Funminiyi Afuye will ensure that messages in your demands is conveyed to the Executive for possible solution,”Adegbuyi said.
On her own, the Head of Service, Mrs Peju Babafemi restated the commitment of the present administration to the welfare of the citizenry, particularly workers.
Babafemi assured that government would not hesitate to implement some of the union’s demand as soon as the economy improves.
Present at the meeting were, the Chairman, Trade Union Congress, Ekiti chapter, Mr Sola Adigun, the Chairman, Joint Negotiations Committee, Mr Kayode Ifatomiluyi, the Senior Special Adviser to Gov Kayode Fayemion Labour Matters, Mr Oluyemi Esan and the Leader of Government Business of Ekiti House of Assembly, Chief Gboyega Aribisogan among others.
