BY GBENGA ARIYIBI

ADO-EKITI-CRISIS has engulfed organised labour in Ekiti State as the state chairman of the Trade Union Congress of Nigeria, TUC, Comrade Kolawole Olaiya, has accused the leadership of Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, in the state of insincerity over workers’ welfare.

Refusal to meet with Government

The TUC Chairman alleged that NLC’s continued refusal to meet with government officials over the implementation of the N18.000 minimum wage would prolong the current industrial unrest in the state.

Olaiya equally condemned labour leaders in the Joint Negotiating Committee, JNC, for allegedly conniving with NLC to evade negotiation

According to him, “The TUC had been dialoguing with the State Government since Monday, but there is little we can do because the JNC and the NLC leaders are not available to continue with negotiation.

“We have tried to reach them on telephones but we could not reach them. I wonder why they are doing this because nobody is out to intimidate or arrest them. This is democracy and I see no reason why they are afraid. During the military, workers used to go on strike while their leaders will be negotiating without any intimidation, so I only plead with them to put the interest of the workers at heart and come out from their hiding for speedy resolution of this problem.”

The NLC Chairman’s phone was switched off when Vanguard tried to reach him.

Workers in the state had last week declared indefinite strike to press home their demands for the payment of the new wage across board rather than N15,000 being proposed for workers on GL 08 and above with workers on GL 01 to GL 07 to benefit from the new wage.