THE Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) this evening (Wednesday, May 19, 2021) suspended its five-day warning strike and street protests in Kaduna State.
Comrade Ayuba Wabba, NLC President, said the decision “is to honour the invitation of the Federal Government” which is to hold tomorrow, Thursday, May 20, 2021.
In a statement earlier on Wednesday by the Ministry of Labour and Employment, entitled, “FG APPREHENDS NLC STRIKE IN KADUNA STATE: -Invites Kaduna State Governor/NLC Leadership,” Mr Charles Akpan, Deputy Director, Press and Public Relations, said apprehension of the strike was directed by Minister of Labour and Employment, Senator Chris Ngige.
According to Mr Akpan, Senator Ngige “has therefore invited the two parties to the trade dispute, the Governor of Kaduna State, Mallam Nasir El Rufai and top officials of the State as well as the President of the Nigeria Labour Congress, Comrade Ayuba Wabba, and top NLC leaders to an emergency conciliation meeting by 11am, tomorrow, Thursday, May 20, 2021 at the office of the Honourable Minister of Labour and Employment, Federal Secretariat, Abuja.
“The Minister further directed the two parties to maintain the status quo ante bellum pending the resolution of the issues in contention.”
The statement further quoted the letter addressed to both NLC and the Kaduna State government thus: “Sequel to the strike prompted by the Nigeria Labour Congress(NLC) one of the federations of Trade Unions in Nigeria, and the subsequent withdrawal of work and services in almost all public sector establishments and institutions in Kaduna State, including but not limited to the essential services in electricity, water and health, which has consequently resulted and inflicted huge damage and loss to the economy and well-being and even loss of lives to the people of Kaduna State in the last three days.
“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 letter further stated: “between the transition period for the meeting, you are please requested to maintain the status quo ante bellum [in] this dispute, so that the enabling climate for the resolution of the issues in dispute will not be hindered by the creation of new issues.”
