By Lukman Olabiyi
Lagos State saw a wave of protests on Monday as workers from Lagos Television (LTV), Radio Lagos/Eko FM, and Traffic Radio staged a three-day demonstration demanding justice over unpaid minimum wages and their exclusion from the state’s Oracle Database system.
At dawn, the disgruntled workers, led by the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) and the Radio, Television, Theatre and Arts Workers’ Union of Nigeria (RATTAWU), gathered outside the stations’ Agidingbi offices, armed with placards and chanting slogans.
Their primary demand was the immediate integration of their staff into the Oracle system and the payment of the long-overdue minimum wage, which other state employees have received since December 2024.
Placards displayed messages such as “Give us Oracle and take the revenue generated,” “We are open to Central Billing System,” and “Human capital development is key to organisational growth—stop robbing us!”
The state’s NUJ Chairman, Leye Ajayi, addressed the agitated crowd, warning the state government: “This is just a warning strike. After three days, it will escalate into an indefinite strike action. We are out of patience. We must be integrated into the Oracle system, and the minimum wage must be paid!”
Ajayi criticised the government for delaying action, accusing officials of using bureaucratic excuses to avoid addressing the workers’ grievances. “They keep cajoling us with stories about presenting papers at executive meetings. Enough is enough!” he declared.
Earlier, the unions had issued a notice to the government after several unproductive meetings failed to resolve the issue. Workers complained about being left out of the wage adjustments while other public servants benefited.
The protest escalated when members of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) Lagos chapter intervened, forcibly shutting down the stations’ operations and ejecting workers from the premises. The NLC’s intervention came after the three-day warning strike, sending a clear message to the Lagos State Government that the workers’ demands could no longer be ignored.
Led by NLC Lagos Chairperson, Mrs. Funmi Sessi, the delegation halted broadcasts and ordered the ejection of remaining staff.
Sessi emphasised that the NLC’s action was not an attack on the state government but a call for an end to the injustice faced by workers at the stations.
She said: “We are not fighting the Lagos State Government,” Sessi said. “But we demand an immediate end to the injustice meted out to the staff of these stations.”
Sessi pointed out the disparity between the workers at the stations and other civil servants in the state, who enjoy benefits such as integration into the Oracle System. “It is unacceptable that workers at these stations are denied the same benefits as other government employees,” she said.
The strike and shutdown have further heightened tensions between the workers and the state government, with unions threatening to escalate their actions if their demands are not met.