Ogun Workers Attack Labour Leaders Over Attempt To Suspend Strike, One Dies

A worker allegedly died on Friday following an attack against labour leaders over the alleged plan to suspend the ongoing strike action called by various labour unions in Ogun State

This happened at the Labour House during a congress called by the organised labour over the ongoing indefinite strike by workers in the state.

Our correspondent gathered that the labour leaders – the Chairman, NLC, Emmanuel Bankole; Chairman, Trade Union Congress, Akeem Lasisi and the Chairman, Joint Negotiating Committee, Isa Olude, had called civil servants to a congress to brief them on the outcome of the meeting with the government officials over the industrial dispute.

The labour unions had on Tuesday declared an indefinite strike which had crippled activities of the government, hospitals and public schools across the state.

The labour unions had declared the strike over what they termed the “pathetic plight” of workers in the state. But barely 24 hours after the commencement of the strike,
Governor, Dapo Abiodun, called the labour leaders for a meeting on Wednesday.

The meeting, which was attended by the union leaders ended in deadlock.
Another round of the meeting with the government also ended in deadlock

But atttempts by the labour leaders to brief the workers on the ongoing dialogue with the government at the workers parliament ended in violence.

Workers were said to have heckled Bankole while he was addressing them and this eventually resulted in a revolt.

This led to an uprising and several attempts to persuade the workers failed as the workers rejected the attempt to suspend the strike as they insisted that the strike must continue.

Security personnel were deployed and one of the workers slumped

A combined team of security men was drafted to calm the tense atmosphere.

Following the outrage, the labour leaders had reportedly bowed to pressure to continue with the strike on Monday.

Bankole denied that the labour leaders had signed an agreement with the government in order to call off the strike.

The NLC called on members to always trust the leadership, saying they would not be betrayed.

Bakole said, “It’s not a must that we call for a workers’ parliament. We, the leaders, only resolved that we need to call for a workers’ parliament to brief you on the stage we have reached in the negotiation.

“That’s to tell you that nobody will betray your interest. For us to succeed in this struggle and be on the same page, if you don’t trust the leadership, it will be too bad.”