Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has begun mobilising members for a nationwide industrial action following the refusal of Kaduna State government to respect the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the workers.
The leadership of the union reached the decision on Tuesday while speaking with newsmen at the end of an emergency National Executive Council (NEC) meeting over the MoU the Kaduna State government signed with workers at the end of its five-day warning strike. The union has also resolved to resume its suspended industrial action.
The NLC had on May 19 suspended its warning strike after three days following the invitation of the Federal Government. The NLC embarked on the warning strike to press home its demand for the recall of hundreds of workers sacked by the Kaduna State government allegedly without due process.
NLC president, Ayuba Wabba said it has now put all its members across the country on alert for the strike which would happen without any further notice.
According to Wabba, the strike would be nationwide because the congress had also informed the Federal Government through a letter to President Muhammadu Buhari.
He said the Kaduna State government has continued to flout with impunity, the MoU entered with the workers during the intervention by the Federal government.
“Whereas the NLC has remained committed to the process of reconciliation following the intervention by the Federal Government, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed and this MoU posited that there should be a 10-person committee to be able to ensure that all processes and procedures in disengaging any workers conforms with our national law, particularly section 20 of the labour law.
“As we speak, that committee has not been constituted by the Kaduna State government. I can also say clearly that the provisions of the MoU are being violated with impunity, especially the no-victimisation clause.
“Owing to the grievous infractions and continuous provocations by the Kaduna state government against workers and trade unions in the state and despite the fact that we have also complained formally to the Federal Government through the president on the non-adherence to the MoU, NEC resolved that the earlier decision of NEC to withdraw all services and protest these neo-liberal and extreme right-wing policies should take effect without delay and mobilisation of all our state councils and all affiliates should take place immediately and all employers of labour should be put on notice,” he said.
