Oyo state-owned BCOS staff protest delayed salaries, alleged deductions and poor welfare, raising fresh concerns over workers’ conditions under the Makinde administration.
Tension gripped the premises of the Broadcasting Corporation of Oyo State, BCOS, this week as members of staff staged a protest over alleged salary delays, unexplained deductions, and poor welfare conditions.
According to the statement by Oyo All Progressives Congress (APC) Peace Advocates Publicity Secretary, Elder David Oluokun, the development has further fueled public disaffection with the Seyi Makinde-led government, with workers and unions accusing the administration of neglecting state-owned media institutions.
Staff who converged at the BCOS gate in Ibadan carried placards with inscriptions such as: “Pay Our Salaries,” Stop Illegal Deductions, and Welfare Matters.
According to staff, salaries have been delayed for months, statutory deductions are not remitted, and working conditions have deteriorated despite BCOS playing a key role in government communication.
“We are the voice of government, yet we are treated like second-class citizens. Our salaries come late, deductions are made but not remitted to cooperatives and unions, and there is no welfare,”one staff member said.
Another worker added: “How can you expect us to project government policies when our own welfare is in shambles?
Leaders of the relevant unions at BCOS said several meetings with management and government representatives have yielded no concrete results.
They noted that the protest was a last resort to draw attention to the plight of workers who have continued to deliver despite the hardship.
The unions are demanding:
1. Immediate payment of outstanding salaries
2. Remittance of all deductions to appropriate bodies
3. Improved welfare package and working tools for staff.
As of press time, the BCOS management and the Oyo State Government are yet to issue an official statement on the protest.
The protest has quickly become a talking point in political circles.
APC leaders in Oyo described it as evidence of misplaced priorities, arguing that a government receiving trillions in allocation should not allow workers in a flagship media house to suffer.
“BCOS is supposed to be the mouthpiece of government. If the staff are protesting, it means there is a failure of governance,” an APC chieftain said.
BCOS remains one of the oldest and most influential broadcast stations in the Southwest.
Any industrial action or unrest there directly affects government’s ability to communicate with the people.
Analysts say how the Makinde administration handles this will determine staff morale and public perception ahead of 2027.
Workers say they will continue to monitor government’s response and will not hesitate to escalate if their demands are not met.
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