By Gift Samuel, The Sight News
Abuja-Following the mass sack of 36,000 workers by the Kaudna state Government, the Nigerian Labour (NLC) has disclosed plans to embark on a protest in Kaduna come Thursday, January 11, 2018.
The NLC President, Comrade Ayuba Wabba who made the disclosure while briefing newsmen in Abuja on Tuesday, stated that the protest is the first phase of series of actions to stop Governor Nasir El-Rufai and to constitutionally defend the rights of the affected workers in the state.
He noted with dismay the jettisoning of the conciliation process and brazen refusal by Governor El-Rufai to obey court order taken by the trade unions under the auspices of the Minister of Labour and adjudication at the National Industrial Court.
According to him, “Immediately after the new year on 3rd January, 2018, the elected Governor of Kaduna State in obvious disregard and abuse of the existing court ruling and the legal process, issued letters of disengagement to thousands of teachers and backdated them to November 3rd 2017, ostensibly to circumvent the court order.
“Our concerns and indeed those of well-meaning Nigerians include the illegal and unacceptable processes employed by the Governor and their direct impact on thousands of dependants of 36,000 workers and their families thrown in one fell swoop into the unemployment market” Wabba said.
Speaking on the reason for the protest, he noted that, “having exhausted all processes aimed at constructive engagement with the state government, it is clear that El-Rufai has to be stopped by all means with all means lawful for the sake of Kaduna state and the Nigerian people”.
He stressed that the Congress supports all steps and actions that have been taken by the Nigeria Union of Teachers, adding that injury to one is injury to all as he called for all progressives to rise up and support the actions of the workers.
Meanwhile, Wabba also condemned in strong terms the sacking of workers by Kogi state government,which he said is out to reduce the workforce and announced that the NLC is about to establish engagement in Kogi state.
“No reason was advanced other than the fact that the workers had reached the zenith of their careers so they were sacked to reduce cost and we will approach the Kogi state issues in the same manner like we approach the issue of Kaduna because there is no justification for their sack and we will ensure that the rule of law prevails”.
Wabba while emphasizing that the Nigerian Labour Congress will do anything possible to defend the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, concept of the rule of law and interest of those workers and their families, also called on President Muhammadu Buhari and other well meaning Nigerians to intervene in the issue.
Those affected in the act are 21,000 teachers, 4,000 local government workers and 8, 000 workers from various state Ministries, Departments and Agencies, including tertiary institutions.
