Oyo NLC refutes Ajimobi’s salary cut claim

Workers in Oyo State under the umbrella of Ni­geria Labour Congress, NLC, yesterday vowed to kick against any move by Governor Abiola Ajimobi to cut their salaries, say­ing they would employ all available means to resist the government if it dares to do so.

The governor had at the weekend, while appearing on a private radio station programme in Ibadan, said the labour leaders in the state during a meeting with government agreed that workers’ salary should be cut in view of the dwindling resources of the state.

But state Chairman of NLC, Mr. Waheed Olojede, while speaking with jour­nalists, described the gov­ernor’s claim as false.

While expressing sur­prise over the claim, he said there was never any such meeting with the governor where the issue of salary cut was placed on the table.

He warned the govern­ment to desist from any step that would cause dis­affection between workers and government, wonder­ing how labour in the state would descend so low to enter into agreement with the governor for salary cut, at a time when NLC national leadership, is al­ready agitating for salary review in the country.

He said: “The governor of Oyo State appeared on a radio programme and there he informed the public that he held a meeting with labour leaders and that we have agreed on salary cut be­cause of the current eco­nomic situation and the dwindling resources of the state.

“And the message got to us as a very big surprise because at no time did la­bour held a meeting to ne­gotiate with government over workers’ salary cut.

“It is true we held a meeting with government on Monday, but the meet­ing was called to discuss the issue of bail-out which the Federal Government has released to Oyo state.”

The NLC boss explained that the agenda for the Monday meeting which was attended by the gov­ernor himself, the Head of Service, and a host of other officials, was based on how soon the arrears of workers’ salary would be cleared after the release of the bailout package.