The national leadership of the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) and other affiliate unions, have drawn a battleline with Governor Nasir El-Rufai of Kaduna State, threatening to commence five days warning strike on Monday in protest of the sacked workers of the state’s civil service.
The NLC and other aligns of the Organised Labour insist on total resistance to the decision of the Kaduna State government on mass retrenchment of workers in the state, protesting that Governor El-Rufai is not being sensitive to the plight of the workers.
The State NLC Chairman, Ayuba Suleiman, declared in Kaduna on Sunday, that the industrial action will be accompanied by a peaceful protest which will be led by the NLC President, Ayuba Wabba, and other labour leaders across the country.
Ayuba Suleiman vowed that the workers during the strike, would ground all socio-economic activities in both public and private sectors to compel the Kaduna State Government to reverse the sack of over 7,000 local government workers and teachers, and suspend its plan to sack another 11,000 civil servants.
Ayuba Suleiman declared: “We are very much ready for the industrial action on Monday, and it is going to be a dual activity. We are embarking on the withdrawal of activities and equally going to stage a peaceful protest come Monday to press home our demand, grievances to the state government.
“I want to assure you that this industrial action is going to be under the care of our amiable President, Comrade Ayuba Wabba. We have had series of meetings today, we met with various stakeholders, including all sectors of the economy in the state towards the success of this industrial action.
“In total, you have about 7,700 workers that are disengaged at the local government level. As I am talking to you, over 11,000 workers of the state civil service are penciled for disengagement. That is why in this April, because of their intention, over 20,000 workers have not yet received their April salary.”
The Commissioner for Local Government, Jafaru Sani, however, faulted the planned strike by the NLC, arguing that the Kaduna State Government made the decision in the interest of the over 10 million citizens in the state.
The commissioner dared the Labour leaders that not even the threat of industrial action or blackmail by the union will make the state government reverse its decision.
Jafaru Sani refuted the NLC allegation that the state government has penciled down over 11,000 workers for disengagement. He, however, admitted that there are plans to right-size the state public service, but did not provide details of the decision.
The Commissioner maintained that the government laid off some workers and political appointees to save costs, cope with fiscal challenges and sustain its ability to use its resources for the entire state.
Jafaru Sani stated that Kaduna State workers have been receiving the new minimum wage since 2019, saying government is not owing salaries.
“This government has reiterated its commitment to the welfare of its workers. It insists that this is sustainable only in the context of the general welfare of residents of the state that the government is mandated to serve.
“It is not sustainable to persist in spending 84 to 96 per cent of the FAAC received on salaries and personnel cost as has been the experience of the state since October 2020,” Jafaru Sani declared.