The Kwara State public service workers on Tuesday commeneced an industrial action to make their demand for the implementation of the ₦30,000 minimum wage known by the government as Labour leaders said they were never served any court injunction.
Meanwhile, the state government said it has secured court injunction from the National Industrial Court, stopping the workers from going on strike, the state civil servants, however shunned their offices to comply with the directives of the organized labor in the state.
Investigation revealed that the gates of some of government offices, ministries, courtrooms, and schools were locked and the areas remained deserted.
Teachers in many public schools also asked to go back home as schools were locked while students were roaming the streets as observed.
The NLC Chairman in the state, Mr. Issa-Ore, expressed satisfaction with the level of compliance by the workers, adding that the Labor leaders received no court injunction on the strike.
He said, “We have not received any court injunction from anyone that we should not go on strike to fight for the implementation of the minimum wage which has become a law in the country.
On the other hand, the Kwara State Governor, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, on Tuesday appealed to the workers to understand the financial situation in the state, adding that the state’s treasury was too mean to accommodate the demands of the Labour unions.
The governor said this when he visited the dilapidated Banni Community Secondary School in Ilorin.
In a statement by the governor’s Chief Press Secretary, AbdulRazaq said, “If we accede to the request of the labour, we will not be able to do any other thing other than paying workers. Our schools have collapsed; the basic health facilities need to be fixed, and we need to do much more for the rest of the population too.
“We want to pay the minimum wage. Where we disagree with the labour is consequential adjustment that they are asking for. It will mean we cannot do any other thing outside salary payment.
“There is a court injunction and as far as the government is concerned there is no strike. Everybody should report to work. We will work on how to improve facilities in our state as much as we will pay salary of our workers.”
