NLC ready for another showdown with El-Rufai over sacked workers

The Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) says it is ready to resume the suspended mega strike against the Kaduna state government over failure to respect the MoU brokered by the federal government.

The NLC President, Mr Ayuba Wabba, said that the congress, after exhausting all avenues, including writing letters to President Muhammadu Buhari and Minister of Labour and Employment, Sen. Chris Ngige, had decided to resume the strike.

Recall that the NLC on May 17 embarked on a five-day warning strike over the sack of thousands of workers in the public service by Kaduna State Government.

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But following the Federal Government intervention, the industrial action was suspended after three days and a MoU was signed between the parties on May 20.

According to Wabba, NEC has resolved to withdraw all services and protest the neo-liberal and extreme right wing policies and this should take effect without further delay.

”Mobilisation of all our state councils and all affiliates should take place immediately, and that all employers of labour should be put on notice, as required by our extant laws.

“We make bold to say that all those falsehood, and propaganda would be responded to appropriately, because we thought that in a modern day democracy, our politicians should always speak the truth and they should not be used to falsify information.

“Particularly, the issue of citing Decree 2, which has been abolished by the current democratic dispensation. Decree 2 is only known to the military era.

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“If El-Rufai wants to return to the era of militarization of our democracy, I think it is something that should be condemned. The actions of workers and trade unions are regulated by laws. It is the Kaduna state government that have violated the provision and sanctity of our laws,” he said.

The NLC president, therefore, insisted that the strike is a legal means used globally by workers to press home their demands.

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Other NLC grievances include alleged retrenchment of workers by the Kaduna State Government, compulsory retirement of workers on Grade Level 14 and above.

Others are: compulsory retirement of workers who have attained the age of 50 years, irrespective of their Grade Levels.

Others are the reduction of the staff strength of Local Governments to 50 in each of the 23 local government councils and the casualisation of workers on Grade Level 1-6.