NLC Raps el-Rafai Over 4,000 LG Workers’ Sack

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BY EDMOND ODOK, ABUJA – The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has condemned the Kaduna State Government’s dismissal of over 4,000 local government workers in the state, describing the action as illegal and gross abuse of due process.

Congress President, Mr Ayuba Wabba said; “The purported sack violates the provisions of all labour laws, industrial relations practice as well as processes.”

In a statement released in Abuja on Thursday, Wabba described the state government action as illegal, insisting that; “The reasons adduced by the government are spurious and unfounded.”

The Labour movement maintained that “the process is patently faulty and unlawful, and redundancy cannot be carried out without following the provisions of the Labour Act.”

Wabba, who noted that the Kaduna state government is going over-board with its anti-people policies, said; “We would want to warn of the consequences of the reckless actions of the government of Kaduna State and will call for caution and restraint on the part of the government.’’

According to the NLC President; “When Kaduna Government announced the plan to lay off about 25,000 teachers for failing a competency test for Primary Four Class, we expressed our misgivings.

“We said that the so-called competency test was a subterfuge and part of a premeditated plan to drastically cut down the workforce.

“This is in furtherance of dangerous neo-liberal policies. The latest illegal mass sack of workers lends credence to our assertions or fears.”

He said from current development, it was clear that the state government did not give sufficient considerations to the social consequences of dropping off about 4,500 workers.

The Labour leader, who expressed regrets at reports that Governor el-Rufai is boasting that no one or nothing would stop his agenda of workers’ retrenchment in the State, said; “This is most unfortunate and a direct fulfilment of the exact opposite of his campaign promise and APC’s manifesto to create jobs.

“He often says as Governor, he has the right, power, means and will to do as he likes, but this is undemocratic and anti-workers.

“We are worried by these emotional outbursts and their infectious effects on his peers and the polity as a whole. We at the Nigeria Labour Congress expected more maturity and flexibility.”

The statement further said; “We accordingly advise the government to rescind its decision on the mass sack. We call on President Muhammadu Buhari and his party, the APC, to call the governor to order.’’

While applauding President Muhammadu Buhari’s support for education sector reform, the NLC President said such an exercise cannot be synonymous with “mindless and conscienceless retrenchment’’ by the Kaduna state government.

The statement quoted Wabba as saying that workers would explore all available lawful means to resist the wave of the mass purge being carried out by the el-Rufai-led administration.

The NLC stated that workers and pensioners across Nigeria and their civil society allies would be mobilized in solidarity with workers in Kaduna to stem the growing tide of due process abuses by the state government.

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