By Adeyinka Adeniran
The Socialist Party of Nigeria, SPN, Oyo State Chapter has said that it supports the decision of the Oyo state workers and retirees under the auspices of the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC and Trade Union Congress, TUC to give the Seyi Makinde led state government an ultimatum to commence the immediate implementation of #35,000 wage award.
It should be recalled that Senator Bola Tinubu-led federal government recently approved the wage award among other things in the agreement it entered with the NLC and TUC following a threat of nationwide indefinite strike.
According to media reports, the decision for the demand and ultimatum was reached at a congress of mass of the Oyo state workers and retirees held at the state secretariat of NLC on Monday, 23rd October, 2023. This is an obvious manifestation of the inability of mass of the workers and retirees in the state to continue to endure the untold economic hardship of a monumental scale unleashed on mass of the Nigerian working people by the Tinubu government with its anti-poor capitalist policies including the criminal hike in the price of petrol and devaluation of the naira.
It is in the light of this, we support the decision of Oyo workers and retirees. As far as we are concerned, the committee recently set up by Makinde-led government to commence a search for a so called home grown solution for the implementation of the #35,000 wage awards in Oyo state is unnecessary and is a ploy to circumvent the implementation of the wage award of #35,000 itself.
It is important to note that, similar committee for the same purpose had been previously set up by Makinde-led government without any report of meeting or recommendation.
The SPN also urges the state leadership of NLC and TUC to consider the possibility of reconvening another congress should the state government fails to commence the implementation of the #35,000 wage award at the expiration of the ultimatum.
It is our believe that a congress convenes after the expiration of the ultimatum will definitely create an avenue for massive involvement of workers and retirees in a democratic debate and discussion to decide on the best way and approach to prosecute and execute the strike.
As far as we are concerned, a two-day warning strike, will have to be considered by the congress as the next step towards driving home their demand. Likewise is a weekly mass meeting of workers and retirees in the state for democratic appraisal of the struggle, in the event a daily mass meeting is considered not visible given the current devastating economic hardship.
