Kaduna workers’ sack: FG sets up committee to resolve NLC, El-Rufai face-off

The Federal Government on Thursday constituted a 10-man committee to resolve the impasse between the Kaduna State Government and the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) over mass sack of workers in the State by governor Nasir El-Rufai.

The Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige, disclosed this to newsmen shortly after a closed-door meeting with the leadership of NLC and representatives of Kaduna State Government that was held in Abuja.

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El-Rufai and the organised labour had been at loggerheads over his actions to retrench not less than 4,000 workers – a development that paralysed economic activities of the State for three days when NLC embarked on mass action to protest against the action.

But Ngige, who served as the conciliator between both parties, noted that the meeting recognised the current impasse, saying it was caused by communication gap between the state government and the organised labour.

He, however, said the meeting which he led had resolved to constitute a ten-man bi-partite committee comprising six representatives of State Government and three officials of the NLC.

“They are to engage further with the objective of reverting with a work plan on how to integrate the provision of section 20 of the Labour Act CAP LFN 2004 to resolve the impasse between the State Government and the NLC.

“The meeting also resolved that the Committee should have as Chairman, the Head of Service of the Kaduna State Government and assisted by a Deputy National President of the NLC.

“The Committee is expected to revert with the work plan for peaceful resolution of all issues in contention to the Honourable Minister of Labour and Employment by Tuesday, May 24,” Ngige said.

The minister added that the work plan is to itemize the structure and sub-structure in the State and Local Government of their activities, stressing that this also includes the time of commencement and envisaged final tenure of the Committee.

He declared that it was agreed that there shall be no further industrial action on these issues, adding that “no worker shall be victimized on account of his or her participation in the Industrial action”.