On Thursday, staff of the Ondo State Internal Revenue Service held a peaceful protest, urging the agency’s management to enforce the new minimum wage.
The protesters, mostly junior staff, voiced their frustration over a large pay gap between senior executives and junior workers.
The workers accused the management of neglecting their welfare and excluding them from the minimum wage payments. Arriving at the office around 8 a.m., they blocked the agency’s entrance and a major road in the area, causing a disruption to activities.
The protesters chanted solidarity songs and pledged not to return to work until their concerns were resolved. One protester, named Isah, criticized the management for what he described as their lack of concern for the workers’ plight.
“We have tabled our grievance before the management but no action has been taken on it that is why we decided to take this action,” he said.
The workers urged the state government to urgently address their demands, stressing that they deserved better pay. In response, Comrade Bola Taiwo, the Special Adviser to the Ondo Governor on Union Matters, assured in a statement that the issue would be resolved shortly.
He guaranteed the protesting ODIRS workers that the state government would take immediate action to address their concerns.
Taiwo said, “This protest is a minor issue because all core civil servants, including local government employees, parliamentary staff, and political appointees, have received their salaries. The affected workers of the ODIRS are from the private sector, not public servants but the governor directed yesterday (Wednesday ) that they should not be paid the old salary but the new minimum wage.
“We asked for their demands, but they provided none. We are unsure of the protest’s motivation. Normally, they should have submitted a formal letter of demand to the government. The governor who is currently in Abuja called a few minutes ago, instructing us not to force them out but to allow them to protest.
“The minimum wage approval will be signed within the next 30 minutes. There is no salary problem in Ondo State. If they have unresolved issues with their management, they need to present their demands formally”
