FG’s Intervention: NLC Suspends Strike In Kaduna
BY VICTOR BUORO, ABUJA – The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) on Wednesday evening announced the suspension of its declared five days warning strike which was successful staged in Kaduna State paralyzing activities in the state.
This followed the intervention of the Federal Government through the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment.
President of the NLC, Comrade Ayuba Wabba, who announced the suspension of the strike, said the decision was taken by the National Executive Council meeting of Labour to honour the invitation of the Federal Government for a mediation meeting scheduled to take place on Thursday with a view to finding an amicable resolution to the dispute between labour and the Kaduna State Government.
Minister of Labour and Employment, Senator Chris Ngige had on Tuesday said that the Federal Government is not unaware of the labour versus Kaduna State face-off and therefore resolved to wade into the ongoing crisis by inviting both parties to a reconciliation meeting.
The meeting scheduled to take place at the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment, Federal Secretariat, Abuja is expected to be attended by the Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai and top officials of his administration, the President of the NLC, Ayuba Wabba and top NLC leaders.
Ngige directed the two parties to maintain the status quo ante bellum pending the resolution of the issues in contention.
The minister said; “I am therefore constrained in the exercise of my powers as the Minister of Labour and Employment, under the Trade Disputes Act, CAP. T8, Laws of Federation of Nigeria (LFN) 2004; to invite you and your top officials to the emergency trade dispute conciliation meeting”.
The Federal Government’s intervention comes three days after the NLC started a protest following the disengagement of over seven thousand civil servants at the state and Local Government levels by the Kaduna State government.
The NLC strike paralysed critical sectors of the economy in Kaduna state following which Governor Nasir El-Rufai declared the NLC President, Wabba and other leaders wanted for economic sabotage and alleged attacks on public infrastructure in the State under the Miscellaneous Offences Act.
