Ibadan — For the second time in one month, ministries and parastatals in Oyo State were paralysed, as workers in the public service embarked on yet another indefinite strike, to protest government's refusal to pay the contentious minimum wage of N9,400.

Yesterday, Head of the state Civil Service, Mrs Bola Obileye, passionately appealed to the workers to have a re-think on their decision to embark on another round of industrial action, which may not be in the best interest of the state.

The strike was suspended late last month, following intervention of the Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Samuel Odugade, and government's promise to cooperate with theNigeria Labour Congress (NLC), in the payment of the new salary scale.

However, as the government reneged on the promise, the workers met on Friday and resolved to resume the suspended strike.When THISDAY visited the state secretariat, offices were deserted while workers gathered at the NLC secretariat for deliberation.

Efforts by the state government to dialogue with NLC leadership was rebuffed, as a meeting called at the House of Chiefs by Obileye was shunned by NLC.Obileye said government and the NLC were still at dialogue stage when the strike resumed, adding that the financial figures NLC claimed was the state gross earning was incorrect.

She said of the four point earnings of the state; monthly allocation, VAT, excess crude oil and Inernally Generated Revenue (IGR), only IGR and monthly allocation were monthly earnings, while VAT and excess crude oil are earned bi-monthly.

She said government intake on IGR was lesser than NLC's claim and persuaded the workers leadership to go back to the negotiation table.