OYO, LABOUR LEADERS OPEN NEGOTIATION OVER STRIKE

 Top officials of the Oyo State Government and labour leaders were, on Friday, locked in a five-hour meeting aimed at resolving the dispute that triggered a three-day warning strike by the state workforce, which ended on Friday. Leading the government team was the Secretary to the State Government, Mr. Olalekan Alli, in company with the Head of Service, Mr. Soji Eniade; Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr. Seun Abimbola; Special Adviser to the Governor on Communication and Strategy, Mr. Yomi Layinka, among others. On the labour’s large delegation were the State Chairman of the Nigeria Labour Congress, Mr. Waheed Olojede; State Secretary, Mr. Kofo Ogundeji; President of Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees, Mr. Titilola Sodo; and State Chairman of the Nigeria Union of Teachers, Mr. Niyi Akano, among others. Addressing journalists at the end of the meeting, Olojede said that the deliberation was fruitful and that it demonstrated the sincerity of the government to resolve the dispute, adding that the meeting would continue on Wednesday, next week. He, however, directed workers to resume at their duty posts on Monday, following the expiration of the warning strike, which was in solidarity with the sacked 256 workers of Ladoke Akintola University Teaching Hospital, Ogbomoso, primary school pensioners and striking workers in the six state-owned tertiary institutions. Olojede said, “We hereby direct workers to resume on Monday, January 29, 2018, as deliberations continue with the government. *The issue of tertiary institutions, who are currently on strike, continues for negotiation next week Wednesday.* “We will continue to rub minds with the government on how best to make the current industrial peace in Oyo State sustainable. We thank our members for their strict compliance with our directives. We urge them to go back to work on Monday. “We have discussed extensively and negotiation and