Labour Day: Oyo workers demand new wage structure

The Chairman of the Nigeria Labour Congress in Oyo State, Kayode Martins, on Monday, demanded a new wage structure for workers that would meet up with the current economic challenges in Nigeria.

Labour Day is a yearly event to celebrate the achievements of workers in the country.

He made this call during his speech at this year’s Workers Day, held at Adamasingba Lekan Salami stadium in Ibadan, the state capital.

Martins lamented that N30,000 minimum wage which ought to have been reviewed over the years has caused a clog in the wheel of progress of so many workers in Nigeria, especially in the state, urging the government to look into it and make the necessary amendments.

While appreciating the government for prompt payment of salaries and other allowances, the NLC chairman called for the engagement of workers when there is an imbroglio between government and labour where the issue would be trashed out rather than taking a unilateral decision without their consent.

Corroborating his view, the chairman of the Trade Union Congress, Bosun Olabiyi, also appealed to the government to provide a conducive environment for workers, urging them to look into the issue of casualization of workers to curb injustice being meted out to them during the employment.

In his speech, the state governor, Seyi Makinde, promised that his government would embark on an aggressive global investment drive.

He said, “Our message to the world is simple, come and invest in the state in agribusiness, renewable energy, solid minerals, and tourism. The state is open for business. We will also look inwards and tackle those issues that will make our local entrepreneurs evolve and expand their operations.

“At the same time, we ask that you, the good people of the state, support us on this drive. Continue to be diligent in whatever role you play in the private or public sector, and make the state a welcoming place for investors and visitors. We restate that by the grace of God, we will continue to maintain the GSM date for paying civil servants’ salaries under Omituntun 2.0. And for our entrepreneurs and investors, we will continue to play our part to make the state economic environment a place where the private sector will thrive,” he promised.