The Osun State Government has declared the Osun Workers Union (OWU) as illegal, asserting that it is an unknown body that does not represent workers’ interests in the state.
In a statement signed by the state Commissioner for Information and Public Enlightenment, Kolapo Alimi, the government insisted that it only recognises the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC), Trade Union Congress (TUC), and Joint Negotiation Council (JNC) as workers’ unions.
DAILY POST gathered that last week, a group of workers under the aegis of Osun Workers Union criticised the state government for attempting to blame the non-payment of March salary and promotion arrears on innocent civil servants.
The union claimed that the government was playing politics with the financial situation of the state.
Describing the OWU’s claims as ludicrous, Alimi stated, “We believe the concoction, which has the fitting of the distraught opposition, was pushed through a non-existent labour body, promoting false information against the government.”
“It is worth pointing out for public enlightenment that the only known and recognised bodies for workers in Osun State and by extension, Nigeria as a whole are the NLC, TUC, and JNC, all of which enjoy a cordial relationship with the administration of Governor Adeleke.
“We want to affirm that, after carrying out due investigation, the so-called Osun Workers Union (OWU) is a fictitious group that mischievously exists only on paper with the sole objective of misleading the public, most especially our loving, diligent, and dedicated workers whose love and solidarity for Adeleke led the government can not be overemphasized.”
While maintaining that the Adeleke administration values and respects the contributions of all workers in the state, Alimi maintained that those behind the latest round of lies were beyond reasoning.
