Street sweepers employed in Akure, Ondo State, including some widows, took to the streets in protest against the non-payment of their stipends for the past four months.
The demonstrators gathered at the Ministry of Environment to air their grievances, issuing a warning of an impending strike if their overdue payments weren’t promptly addressed.
Adorned in their recognizable green jackets, these women expressed their discontentment with the treatment meted out by ZL Global Alliances, a private company responsible for waste management and recycling in the state. Despite diligently sweeping streets, highways, and markets, they asserted not receiving their monthly stipend of N10,000.
Oluwaseun Ogunniyi, a spokesperson among the protestors, highlighted the plight of the workers. These individuals were formerly part of the Ondo State Waste Management Board and have been engaged by ZL Global Alliance since 2019.
“There is no promotion, and we are now being paid N10,000 from the N20,000 we used to collect under the state government. They just started paying us N15,000.
“We close as late as 5 pm. I use N1000 per day to and from work and I am a widow. We always complain, but they don’t answer us.
Bimbo Adekunle, an elderly woman in her late 60s, revealed that they are always at their duty post as early as 4:30 am to sweep their portion, stressing that it was tiring not being paid as when due.
Reacting, the Deputy Managing Director of ZL Global Alliance, Tobi Benjamin, said, “We understand the political situation in Ondo State and how some desperate elements struggle to hold on to whatever to score cheap political points.
“However, they should know that we are reputable business concerns and not given to such frivolities. They should therefore stop the attempts at using some of our workers to play their politics.”
