Several striking workers in Ondo State on Thursday blocked the main gate to the state government house, preventing Governor Olusegun Mimiko from gaining access to his office.
The workers commenced the industrial action last week Wednesday to protest non-payment of their five months salaries.
The governor, who was forced to come down from his vehicle addressed the protesters, pleading with them to suspend the strike, saying there was not enough money in the government’s coffers to pay the accumulated salary arrears.
But the governor’s plea to convince the workers was not accepted as some of them kept chanting, ‘no salary no work’.
Responding to the governor’s address, the state chairman of Joint Negotiating Council, Mr. Sunday Adeleye, declared that if the workers had no signal that the state government was ready to pay the salaries owed, the indefinite strike would continue.
Apart from the government house, workers also stormed some major roads in Akure, the state capital to continue the protest.
During the protest that lasted for over four hours, the workers carried placards with different inscriptions such as‘Mimiko pay our salary,’ ‘ we can’t feed our families,’ ‘ workers are dying of hunger,’ ‘ise pupo, iya repete’ among others.
The workers who were led by leaders of organised Labour across the state were chanting various anti-government songs during the protest.
It was gathered that the Ondo State Council of Obas led by the Osemawe of Ondo, Oba Victor Kiladejo, was meeting with the leadership of the organised Labour as of the time of filing this report.
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