The Federal Government has moved to resolve the ongoing dispute between the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) and the Kaduna State Government.
NLC President, Ayuba Wabba announced the suspension of the five-day warning strike on the second day following the Federal Government intervention.
The strike and protest started midnight Sunday to compel Governor Nasir El-Rufai Administration to reinstate the over 45,000 sacked workers.
The protesting civil servants and the NLC leadership are also seeking to stop the planned dismissal of 11,000 additional workers and anti-labour policies of the government.
Addressing reporters in Abuja last night, Wabba, who led the NLC team to Kaduna, said the union received a letter from the Labour and Employment ministry for a tripartite meeting today in the office of the minister, Dr. Chris Ngige.
The feud between the NLC leadership and Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El Rufai deepened after both parties maintained their positions.
The NLC chief while addressing the workers at the NLC state secretariat warned that Labour might issue a directive to shutdown economic activities nationwide within 48 hours, if El-Rufai failed to meet the demands of the workers.
But tough-talking El-Rufai vowed to ensure that the NLC leaders were prosecuted and jailed 27 years each in accordance with the Miscellaneous Offences Act.
He told the 23rd Annual Tax Conference organised by the the Chartered Institute of Taxation of Nigeria (CITN) that he would break the strike and prosecute “the criminals” for preventing ”businesses like banks, petrol stations and others from opening.”
The governor however pointed out that his government was not against the right of workers to go on strike. He argued that such workers “must walk out of their work place and allow it to function without them.”
