The Oyo State President of the Nigeria Labour Congress, Comrade Kayode Martin, has declared that organised labour in the state will not accept any regression in workers’ welfare beyond the standard set by Governor Seyi Makinde, as the state looks ahead to a change of leadership in 2027.
Martin made the position of the NLC and other labour unions known on Monday during the annual interfaith prayer session held to usher in the new working year.
The event took place at the Governor’s Office parking space within the State Secretariat, Ibadan.
Commending the Makinde administration, the labour leader praised what he described as prompt and uninterrupted payment of workers’ salaries, regular promotions, and improved compliance with the national minimum wage.
According to him, Oyo State is currently ranked fourth nationwide in terms of minimum wage compliance.
“Oyo State workers are paid as and when due. Salaries are not delayed and promotions are regular.
Today, Oyo is rated number four in Nigeria in compliance with the payment of the minimum wage, and that is not by accident,” Martin said.
He faulted claims by some critics who have argued that timely payment of salaries should not be regarded as an achievement, insisting that the record of previous administrations proved otherwise.
“Some people say paying salaries promptly is not an achievement. That is not correct.
It is an achievement because no past administration in this state sustained it the way this government has done.
Workers in Oyo State have never had it this good under any previous administration,” he stated.
Martin stressed that the stance of labour was not politically motivated, but rooted in the lived experiences of workers across the state.
“We are not politicians and we will not politicise anything. But a standard has been set by Governor Makinde in terms of workers’ welfare, and we will not accept anything less than that standard from whoever succeeds him in 2027,” he added.
The interfaith prayer session brought together government officials, labour leaders, religious leaders and civil servants, who prayed for peace, productivity and continued progress in the state’s public service as the new working year begins.