Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress (TUC) have appealed to President Muhammadu Buhari to call Governor Nasir el-Rufai to order for sacking of workers in Kaduna state without following due process.
Addressing the 2021 Workers’ Day, NLC President, Comrade Ayuba Wabba and TUC President, Comrade Quadri Olaleye, in reports presented by the Kaduna state NLC Chairman, Comrade Ayuba Suleiman at Ahmadu Bello Stadium, Kaduna, warned that they are mobilizing every Nigerian worker for the mother of all struggles in Kaduna state.
NLC and TUC described the mass sack and casualization of over 60℅ of the workforce in Kaduna state by Governor Nasir el-Rufai as the most brutal attack ever on workers and trade union rights in the nation’s history, warning that they will not take Governor el-Rufai’s current repression of workers lying low.
The organised labour also expressed sadness on the increase of school fees of Kaduna State University by almost 500% by the state government. ”Between 2016 and this year, Kaduna state Governor, Nasir el-Rufai sacked 21,770 primary school teachers, 7,310 local government employees, 3,000 personnel in the state civil service and 1,240 workers at the State Primary Health Care Board.
“While the disengaged workers are still licking their wounds, the Governor went further to increase the school fees of Kaduna State University by almost 500%, this clearly shows a well mapped plan to make the children of the working class to become destitute, is this how Mr. el-Rufai understands development,” NLC quizzed.
”The serial pattern of anti-workers and anti-trade union war of attrition by the Kaduna state Governor, Mr Nasir el-Rufai is not lost on the Nigerian public. The industrial sadism of Mr el-Rufai has become legendary; it is even worst now.
“The actions of the Governor are in breach of Section 20 Sub Section 1(a-c), 2 and 3 of Nigeria’s Labour Act which demand consultation with workers representative organizations before redundancy letters are issued to workers. We also condemn violation of the terms of employment contract of the disengaged workers which provides for 60 years retirement age and 35 years of active service.
”We consider the promise in the redundancy letters issued to the current victims of Mr el-Rufai’s reign of sadism as a mockery to the sacked workers; talk of rubbing insult to injury.
“El-Rufai has refused to pay workers that he had earlier sacked between 2016 and 2020 their redundancy benefits. El-Rufai continues to prove himself as an agent provocateur and the precursor for the deteriorating security situation in Kaduna state.”
