NLC Suspends Strike In Kaduna, Holds Meeting Today

Organised Labour yesterday evening, suspended ongoing five-day warning strike against Kaduna State Government.

This followed the Federal Government summoning of Governor Nasir el-Rufai of Kaduna State and Labour leaders to an emergency conciliatory meeting today in Abuja today, in an effort to apprehend the escalating industrial dispute between the Kaduna State government and Organized Labour over mass sack of workers among other alleged anti-workers’ policies

President of Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, Ayuba Wabba, who disclosed this, said it was to honour the Federal Government’s invitation for a conciliatory  meeting today.

This came as the International Trade Union Confederation, ITUC, Africa, described Tuesday’s attack on the protesting members of the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC by hired thugs as crude, uncivil and incompatible with the ethos of participatory democracy provisions and good governance.

Also, Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria, MWUN, condemned the attack on workers protesting against mass sack of workers and other alleged anti-workers policies by Kaduna State government.

Meanwhile, The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, urged Governor Nasir el-Rufai, to immediately and unconditionally reinstate all the sacked workers from the state public service.

Undaunted by the thugs’ attack on Tuesday, labour leaders and aggrieved workers yesterday trooped into the streets of Kaduna metropolis for a peaceful protest.

The Federal Government through the Minister of Labour and Employment, Senator Chris Ngige, invited the two parties to the trade dispute to the meeting, scheduled for 11 am at the office of the Minister of Labour and Employment, Federal Secretariat, Abuja

Specifically, those invited to the emergency conciliation meeting included  el Rufai and top officials of the state as well as Wabba and top NLC leaders.

A statement by the Deputy Director, Press and Public Relations, Ministry of Labour and Employment, Charles Akpan, said the Minister had apprehended the strike

The statement said, “The Minister further directed the two parties to maintain the status quo ante bellum pending the resolution of the issues in contention.”

The letters separately addressed to both the Governor of Kaduna State and the President of the NLC read in part: ” Sequel to the strike prompted by the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) one of the federations of Trade Unions in Nigeria, and the subsequent withdrawal of work and services in almost all public sector establishments and institutions in Kaduna State, including but not limited to the essential services in electricity, water and health, which has consequently resulted and inflicted huge damage and loss to the economy and well-being and even loss of lives to the people of Kaduna State in the last three days

Culled from The Vanguard