Ondo poly workers protest stagnant wages, seek urgent intervention

By Boye Oyeyemi –

Workers of Rufus Giwa Polytechnic, Owo, on Monday staged a protest over the alleged failure of the Ondo State Government to implement the new national minimum wage for staff of the institution, reaffirming their resolve to sustain the struggle until justice is achieved.

The demonstration, organised by the Senior Staff Association of Nigeria Polytechnics and supported by the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics, was held at the institution’s main gate in Owo.

Speaking with journalists, SSANIP chairman, Comrade Saka Olokungboye Nurudeen, accused successive state governments of neglecting the polytechnic and its workforce.

He lamented that while other public workers in the state now enjoy the new minimum wage, employees of Rufus Giwa Polytechnic remain on the N18,000 salary structure initially introduced in 2019.

Nurudeen further noted that although the state began implementing the new wage in October 2024, workers of the polytechnic were excluded despite several appeals by labour unions.

Describing the current wage as grossly inadequate amid rising inflation, he said many workers now struggle to meet basic living expenses.

In a similar vein, ASUP chairman, Comrade Arikawe Ade, urged Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa to intervene urgently, stressing that the minimum wage is a legal entitlement rather than a privilege.

The protesters, however, assured that the demonstration would remain peaceful, even as they vowed to persist until the government implements the new wage.