The Civil Liberties Organisation (CLO) has urged Labour leaders in Enugu State to take urgent disciplinary action against members of the controversial Workers Forum which turned the three-day-warning strike embarked upon by public servants in the state into an indefinite strike.
In a statement issued by its South – east Zonal Director, Barrister Olu Omotayo, CLO insisted that Workers Forum has dragged the Enugu State organised labour in the mud.
CLO said it was illegal to start a 3day warning strike and turn it to an indefinite strike, adding that it is not done in any part of the world.
“The agitation is not strictly between Labour and the government. Labour is also answerable to the people.
The millions of people of the state from whose tax, workers are paid are supposed to know when Labour is going on an indefinite strike. Every citizen of the state support their lawful demand but they should not take the general populace for granted because in any democratic society, power belongs to the people. If you are going on an indefinite strike you let the citizens know and prepare their minds for it.
The impact of the strike could be seen in all spheres, Courts are not working and a lot of innocent citizens who are languishing in police custody could not be arraigned in the Court. State hospitals are not working and all other important service providers in the state government employment.” The statement stated.
CLO advised? the government and Labour to go back for a round table negotiation and study how the new minimum wage has been successfully implemented by other states as Enugu State cannot do its own in isolation.
The organisation said there was need for the government and Labour to jointly work seriously to educate the workforce on the implementation of the new minimum wage as according to them, “we believe it was breakdown in the communication between labour leaders and their followers that led to the hijacking of the struggle by the faceless group that called itself Workers Forum.”
The Labour leaders in Enugu State should take urgent disciplinary action against unscrupulous elements associated with the so called Workers Forum who have dragged the Enugu State organised Labour in the mud. The key to the successful and notable struggles in history has been discipline. Labour leaders should ensure discipline in its fold, not allow people who have personal scores to settle with the government use Labour as their mouthpiece and be in firm control as in other states of the Federation while speaking with one voice.” CLO concluded.