FG Summons El-Rufai, Wabba To Abuja As Labour Suspends
Warning Strike In Kaduna
Organized 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 People’s 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, 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.
