6th January, 2012
As the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) warms up for strike on Monday to protest the removal of oil subsidy, union leaders in Osun have promised to make their participation peaceful.
Mr. Adetunji Oladele, the state Chairman of the Trade Union Congress (TUC), made the pledge at a meeting between Governor Rauf Aregbesola of Osun and labour leaders on Thursday in Osogbo.
Oladele said that the meeting with the governor was to clear the air on the position of labour unions in the state in respect of the strike.
He said that though the state government was not a party to the withdrawal of oil subsidy, workers in the state would still join the nationwide strike.
According to him, labour unions in the state will embark on strike immediately they get the directive from the NLC headquarters in Abuja.
Oladele assured the governor that all the labour unions participating in the strike would be peaceful, orderly and law-abiding.
“No striking worker must take the law into his or her own hands to unleash violence and cause destruction of public property during the protest,†he warned.
Aregbesola noted that labour unions had the legitimate right to embark on strike in protest of the oil subsidy removal, but pleaded with them to make the protest violence-free.
The governor also advised them to ensure that the strike did not lead to destruction of lives and property.
The meeting was attended by officials and members of the Joint Negotiation Council, NLC and TUC as well as top government functionaries.