The Federal Government has intervened in the ongoing strike and picketing in Kaduna by the organised labour to protest the mass sack of workers in the employ of the state
The Minister of Labour and Employment, Sen. Chris Ngige,waved the olive branch through Charles Akpan, Deputy Director, Press and Public Relations in the ministry, in Abuja.
Ngige appealed to the Kaduna state Governor, Malam Nasir El ‘Rufai, President of the NLC, Mr. Ayuba Wabba and the President of the TUC, Mr. Quadiri Olaleye, to sheath their swords immediately
“We are not unaware of what is going on in Kaduna state. It is a labour issue which has snowballed into a national strike and picketing by the two labour centres and affiliate unions.We hope and also urge the Kaduna state governor not to escalate matters to such a level where it becomes uncontrollable.
”We also appeal to leaders of the labour centres to step down action to make way for discussion.My ministry is wading into the matter and therefore calls on the warring parties to give peace a chance,” he said.
The minister urged all workers on essential duties, including doctors and nurses not to join the strike.
He added that, importantly, I appeal to workers in critical sectors not to tamper with electrical or water installations so as not to bring more sufferings to the people of Kaduna state and the nation at large.
“This is because we have it on good authority, following complaints by the Minster of Power that workers have threatened to trigger a nationwide blackout by interfering or switching off the national grid,” Ngige said.
The Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers had Tuesday warned that it might declare a nationwide industrial action following the ongoing face-off between the Nigeria Labour Congress and the Kaduna State Government.
NUPENG, in a statement jointly signed by its National President, Williams Akporeha, and General Secretary, Afolabi Olawale, told its members to be on red alert over the attack on NLC peaceful protest in Kaduna State.
NUPENG warned that if any harm was inflicted on any of the members of the organised labour, the leadership of the union would not hesitate to call on all its members throughout the nation for a total shut down of all services in the upstream, mid-stream and downstream sectors of the oil and gas industry.
It said, “In the light of the above, we are therefore putting all NUPENG members nationwide on red alert and may at very short notice of five hours call for a nationwide industrial action if situation arises.
“Our solidarity remains constant for the union makes us strong.”
The union said its national leadership was deeply saddened with the violent turn of NLC peaceful protests by the ‘dictatorial and despotic regime of Governor Nasir el-Rufai in Kaduna State’.
It added, “The leadership of the union is therefore calling on the Federal Government to immediately call on Kaduna State Governor, Mallam Nasir el-Rufai, to order before his arrogance and power drunk ego further push the situation into horrendous calamity as he has been doing in all issues relating to human lives and wellbeing.
“Consequently, the union reiterates that no labour leader or worker as the case may be, be harmed, harassed, maimed, humiliated or victimised during this five-day peaceful protests in the state.”
Besides,the National Union of Electricity Employees warned that it might also mobilize its members to down tools in view of the of the ongoing strike in Kaduna
Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai has declared Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) leaders who coordinated the shutdown of the state in protest over mass sack of workers as bandits.
He vowed they will be prosecuted, accusing them of unwanton destruction of public properties and disruption of peace.
He said their actions were equivalent to that of bandits terrorising the state and ordered the sack of all nurses in the state below Grade Level 14 and lecturers of the Kaduna State University (KASU) for joining the five-day warning strike.
He lamented some nurses joined the unlawful strike and engaged in sabotage of some of its health facilities.
He also said any academic staff of Kaduna State University (KASU) that does not report for work will be dismissed.
He added:“KDSG will not tolerate criminal acts disguised as industrial action” reads: “Today, the Kaduna State Government reviewed the sundry criminal actions that have defined the campaign of economic and social sabotage and lawlessness waged by the NLC.
“KDSG considers as unacceptable the serial violations of the Miscellaneous Offences Act and the Trade Union Act that have occurred over the last two days.
“However, KDSG cannot be expected to tolerate the brazen shutdown of electricity, attack on public infrastructure and buildings, locking up hospitals and forcefully discharging patients, unlawful trespass into public facilities and the wanton use of coercion and restraints of personal freedom by the NLC.
“Efforts to dress up criminal activity as industrial action do not change the reality of the law breaking that has unfolded, including their persistently ignoring the prohibition against impeding essential services.
“Also, KDSG cannot ignore the illegal pressures brought to disrupt the operations of banks and other private business whose staff and customers do not have any industrial dispute with the state or any other government.
“KDSG acknowledges doctors and some other categories of health workers that are trying to run public health facilities but regrets that some nurses have joined the unlawful strike and engaged in sabotage of some of our health facilities. Nurses were implicated in the forceful discharge of patients in many health facilities.
“In addition, KDSG has decided the following: Ayuba Wabba and his senior confederates in the NLC are declared wanted and will be vigorously prosecuted for violations of the Penal Code of Kaduna State, the Miscellaneous Offences and the Trade Dispute (Essential Services) Acts. They are advised to report to the Ministry of Justice and the Police Headquarters to take their statements;
“The Ministry of Health will dismiss all nurses below GL 14 for going on an unlawful strike. Salaries that could have gone to them are to be given as extraordinary occupational allowances to the health workers who are at their duty posts to fill the gap of those absconding from duty.
“The Ministry of Health has been directed to advertise vacancies for the immediate recruitment of new nurses to replace those dismissed;
“Any academic staff of KASU that does not report for work will be dismissed. The authorities of KASU are to submit a copy of the attendance register for all categories of staff daily to the Secretary to the State Government and the Commissioner of Education;
“All MDAs are also to submit daily copies of attendance register to the Head of Service.KDSG views the actions of the NLC as equivalent to the actions of the bandits kidnapping and menacing our citizens. Bandits illegally use arms but the NLC is deploying mob action for exactly the same ends: trying to hold hostage the freedoms, economic interests, livelihoods and resources of the people of Kaduna State.
President of Nigeria Labour Congress,Ayuba Wabba,had dared El-Rufai to arrest him.
The Nigeria Labour Congress had accused Governor Nasir el-Rufai of hiring the thugs who attacked workers who were peaceful protesting the governor’s recent mass sack of the state’s workers.
In a statement signed by Comrade Ismail Bello, Acting General Secretary, entitled “Mr. Nasir El-Rufai Lives Up To His Name: Cowardly Instigates Street Violence Against Innocent Protesting Nigerian Workers,” NLC warned that workers are neither scarred nor deterred by el-Rufai’s “jungle juggling with violence.”
He said workers and their families will turn out in millions to continue the protest against the anti-human, anti-worker and anti-trade union machinations of Mr. El-Rufai.”
Besides,APC Governors under the Progressive Governors Forum (PGF),has urged the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Kaduna State government to return to the negotiating table on the issues of right sizing of local government employees.
The governors, who expressed serious concern over the financial situation of the various states vis-a-vis the dwindling revenue available to the states,said the issues are very serious for the parties to resort to muscle flexing.
The Northern Governors Forum has called for calm and dialogue in resolving the ongoing face-off between the Kaduna State Government and the organised labour over purported plans by the Government to right-size its workforce.
