The Nigeria Labour Congress has suspended the five-day warning strike in Kaduna State to pave way for negotiations as requested by the Federal Government.
The National President of NLC, Comrade Ayuba Wabba stated this at an emergency meeting in Kaduna late Wednesday.
Representatives of Labour will meet with Federal Government officials and the Kaduna government in Abuja on Thursday.
Employees of the Kaduna State government on Sunday night commenced the warning strike to get the Governor Nasir El-Rufai administration to reverse the mass retrenchment it had carried out, and prevent its planned further dismissal of 11, 000 more civil servants.
El-Rufai had previously sacked 45,000 workers, which drew the ire of labour leaders and members.
As the warning strike got on the way, the governor on Tuesday announced the sack of all Nurses on grade levels 14 and below, for joining the strike by the workers.
El-Rufai further infuriated the workers when he declared Waba and other labour leaders wanted for what he described as economic sabotage and attacks on public infrastructure.
Announcement of the suspension of the strike came just as the Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria (MWUN) threatened to shut down the country’s seaports in solidarity with the NLC following El-Rufai’s orders for the arrest of the leaders.
In a statement on Wednesday, the MWUN said it was shocked that the Governor resorted to harassment and threat to the union leaders, instead of seeking ways to address the labour problem in Kaduna State.
“The leadership of the Maritime Workers of Nigeria has received with rude shock the Kaduna State Governor’s call for the arrest and prosecution of Union leaders, who are on a peaceful demonstration against maladministration,” the union said in the statement signed by the President-General of the MWUN, Comrade Adewale Adeyanju, and the Secretary-General, Comrade Felix Akingboye.
“It is inconceivable that Mallam El-Rufai, who claimed to be one of the progressive governors continues to intimidate, harass and even branded Union leaders who are on peaceful protest as common criminals,” the maritime workers said.
“Mallam El-Rufai who probably is still living in Stone Age believes that he can use the instrumentality of state to suppress the rights of workers,” the statement said.
“Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria hereby reiterates its solid support for the congress action and therefore calls on the Federal Government, State governors, Traditional leaders and well-meaning Nigerians to prevail on Mallam El-Rufai to tow the path of diligence and due process,” they said.
