BY GBENGA OLARINOYE
OSOGBO—THE industrial unrest in Osun State over the implementation of the N18.000 new minimum wage yesterday deepened as government and leaders of organised labour gave conflicting directives to the workers.

While the government directed public servants to resume work today, leaders of the striking workers asked the workers to ignore the government and continue with the strike.

The government through its Head of Service, Mr Segun Akinwusi, in an announcement on the state-owned Radio and television stations, told all categories of workers to resume work today (Monday), but the Joint Negotiating Council, JNC, mandated workers to continue with the strike until the state agreed to pay the N18,000 across board.

Akinwusi in the broadcast aired repeatedly on the radio service of Osun State Broadcasting Corporation, OSBC, assured workers of safety and security if they resume work.

The HOS noted government had exhausted all avenues for negotiation to ensure the enthronement of peace, progress and development of the state, saying “all workers in the state public service enjoy maximum comfort and good life necessitated our offer to pay a N19,001 as minimum wage to the least paid worker which is far higher than what the Federal Government instructed states to pay its workers.”

He expressed appreciation to traditional rulers, religious leaders and opinion moulders across the state for their intervention and mediation between the government and the striking workers.

Akinwusi stressed further that the government shifted its position four times to accommodate the position of workers while also taking cognizance of the interest of other sectors of the state.

Furthermore, Akinwusi reiterated the promise of the state government to pay N19001.00 as Minimum Wage to workers while N7429, N6611, and N5096 are to be paid to workers on Salary Grade Levels 08 to 10, Grade Levels 12 to 14 and Salary Grade Levels 15 to 17 respectively.

But the JNC in a statement by the state Secretary of the Trade Union Congress, TUC, Mr. Kayode Adepoju, condemned the announcement made by the HOS and described the announcement as a threat to force workers to resume, saying the government action was against the ILO convention.

According to the statement, the leadership of the TUC and NLC had not reached any agreement with the state government on the payment of the new minimum wage to workers.

The statement enjoined workers to ignore the directive of the Head of Service and continue with the strike pending the time the state government would meet their demands fully.