A union veteran who has served in various labour capacities in Oyo State and beyond, Comrade Abiodun Olanlokun, has raised concerns over the alleged irregular payment of salaries, pension allowances, cooperative deductions and other entitlements affecting staff and pensioners of the Broadcasting Corporation of Oyo State (BCOS).
In his passionate intervention, Olanlokun criticised what he described as the lack of solidarity among some pensioners’ representatives and called for collective action, including a peaceful protest, to draw the attention of the Oyo State Government and the public to the situation.
Below is his full statement as made available to iReport247News:
THE TIME TO ACT IS NOW!
The spate of staggered payments and non-payment of staff salaries, pension allowances, cooperative deductions and other allowances has been on in BCOS over months.
Dotun Olaitan has refused to do the needful .
The leadership of the two in-house labour unions, RATTAWU and NUJ, BCOS Chapter, have launched an action against this misdemeanour of the BCOS Management under the headship of the Chairman, Mrs. Dotun Olaitan.
Some of us, the labour warriors in BCOS and freedom fighters in defence of humanity and labour sanctity, have swung into action swiftly to complement the efforts of organised labour.
To our chagrin, at different series of meetings held, the leadership of the Union of Pensioners at the BCOS level could not help the situation, as some members of the NUP Executive were used as “Yes men.”
While the RATTAWU and NUJ leadership were facing official reprimands before Dotun Olaitan, the NUP were busy at the same meeting praise-singing the woman, tagging her as the best, even when salary payments were not smooth.
Such confusion was one of the factors that destabilised the efforts of RATTAWU and NUJ.
Rather than complementing the efforts of their co-union, the NUP gave Dotun Olaitan that undeserved strength to wax strong in power.
Some of us rose and stood firm with the Union, not minding whose ox is gored.
Reliably, we gathered that some advocates of objectivity and truth within the NUJ membership, Pastor Wole Oladele and Com. Taiwo Ojediran, were tagged as bad boys within the divide of NUP.
The NUP apparently was relying on the concocted version of the story by the Chairman ,Dotun against the leadership of RATTAWU and NUJ.
Well, it is never too late to act. Some of us are always available for objectivity and progress.
Why should the pensioners be made to suffer, as the Secretary, NUP expressed !
If the subvention can take care of payment to pensioners, then why the delay ?
Why the punishment ?If the NUP is ready, every concerned member should be ready for such recommended peaceful protest as mentioned.
The Government is not so aware of this underground suffering of BCOS Pensioners , this is the time for the whole world to listen to our plights !
THE TIME TO ACT IS NOW !
Comrade Abiodun Olanlokun
Union Veteran | Labour Activist
Read more:
Makinde to meet BCOS unions over pension arrears, workers’ welfare
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