Ondo Streets Sweepers Protest 4 Months’ Unpaid Wages

Street sweepers in Ondo State yesterday took to the streets of Akure, the state capital to protest over the non-payment of their monthly wages.

The majority of the street sweepers who are widows, in large numbers moved to the Ministry of Environment, where they expressed their grievances and threatened to down tool work if not paid.

The protesters lamented the poor treatment melted on them by the management of the ZL Global Alliances, a private company in charge of waste management and recycling in the state.

Speaking with LEADERSHIP during the protest, their leader, Oluwaseun Ogunniyi, informed that they were former staff at the Ondo State Waste Management which was contracted by the ZL Global Alliance from 2019.

Ogunniyi further explained that they were the ones sweeping the streets, highway roads, and markets and still owed the stipend of N10,000 for four months.

According to her, ‘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. The GM doesn’t stay in the office but has representatives to speak with us since August.

“So, Let them return to where we came from. If they don’t pay us, then we won’t work again,” she said.

Another elderly woman, Bimbo Adekunle 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.