Kaduna Teachers’ Sack: NLC To Hold Mass Protest Tomorrow

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has said it will shut down
business and commercial activities in Kaduna on Thursday to protest
the mass sack of teachers by the Kaduna State government.

Addressing a press conference yesterday in Abuja, President of
NLC, Ayuba Wabba said the state governor, Malam Nasir el-Rufai, on
3rd January, 2018, in obvious disregard and abuse of the existing
court ruling and the legal process, issued letters of disengagement
to thousands of teachers and back dated them to November 3rd,
2017.

Wabba said since the governor commenced the sack of workers in
the state, no fewer than 36, 000 workers have been sacked. He said
the sacked workers comprised 4, 000 local government workers and
another 8, 000 workers from various MDAs

He said the actions of el-Rufai was a clear violation and abuse
of the tenets and provisions of Nigeria labour laws, and other well
known international best practices which were capable of
exacerbating social tensions and societal ills in the state.

Condemning the abuse of the reconciliation process at the
National Industrial Court on December 4, 2017, which had ordered
that all process of sack be put on hold till the case was decided,
the NLC pledged it’s commitment within the provision of the law to
defend the interest of workers in Kaduna State.

He said, “Immediately after the New Year on 3rd January, 2018,
the elected Governor of Kaduna State, in obvious disregard and
fragment abuse of the existing court ruling and the legal process,
issued letters of disengagement to thousands of teachers and back
dated them to November 3rd, 2017 ostensibly to circumvent the court
order.

“This perfidy is not only irresponsible and unbecoming of a
governor elected under the revered Constitution of the Federal
Republic of Nigeria, but a criminal act and an affront to the well
cherished principles of law and natural justice.

“Our concerns, and indeed those of well-meaning Nigerians
include the illegal and unacceptable processes employed by the
Governor and their direct impact on thousands of dependents of
36,000 workers and their families thrown in one fell swoop into the
unemployment market. More worrisome are the grievous and negative
implications of this in a state grappling with social tensions and
societal ills such as kidnappings, armed robberies, and killings
among others.

“The actions of Governor el-Rufai are largely propelled by his
rabid obsession to access a loan and mortgage the lives and
livelihood of thousands of workers, and indeed the people of Kaduna
State to the IMF and World Bank.

“We make bold to say that no sane and humane society will
contemplate such inconsiderate policy as a mass sack, talk less of
implementing it at a time everyone, particularly policy makers have
made us believe that the country is barely out of recession.
Serious minds in both the public and private sectors are focused on
reflating the economy, creating jobs and curbing all forms of
social insecurity. Thus, we find the actions of el-Rufai totally
inhuman and economically illogical, and not worth venturing into,”
he said.

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has said it will shut down
business and commercial activities in Kaduna on Thursday to protest
the mass sack of teachers by the Kaduna State government.

Addressing a press conference yesterday in Abuja, President of
NLC, Ayuba Wabba said the state governor, Malam Nasir el-Rufai, on
3rd January, 2018, in obvious disregard and abuse of the existing
court ruling and the legal process, issued letters of disengagement
to thousands of teachers and back dated them to November 3rd,
2017.

Wabba said since the governor commenced the sack of workers in
the state, no fewer than 36, 000 workers have been sacked. He said
the sacked workers comprised 4, 000 local government workers and
another 8, 000 workers from various MDAs

He said the actions of el-Rufai was a clear violation and abuse
of the tenets and provisions of Nigeria labour laws, and other well
known international best practices which were capable of
exacerbating social tensions and societal ills in the state.

Condemning the abuse of the reconciliation process at the
National Industrial Court on December 4, 2017, which had ordered
that all process of sack be put on hold till the case was decided,
the NLC pledged it’s commitment within the provision of the law to
defend the interest of workers in Kaduna State.

He said, “Immediately after the New Year on 3rd January, 2018,
the elected Governor of Kaduna State, in obvious disregard and
fragment abuse of the existing court ruling and the legal process,
issued letters of disengagement to thousands of teachers and back
dated them to November 3rd, 2017 ostensibly to circumvent the court
order.

“This perfidy is not only irresponsible and unbecoming of a
governor elected under the revered Constitution of the Federal
Republic of Nigeria, but a criminal act and an affront to the well
cherished principles of law and natural justice.

“Our concerns, and indeed those of well-meaning Nigerians
include the illegal and unacceptable processes employed by the
Governor and their direct impact on thousands of dependents of
36,000 workers and their families thrown in one fell swoop into the
unemployment market. More worrisome are the grievous and negative
implications of this in a state grappling with social tensions and
societal ills such as kidnappings, armed robberies, and killings
among others.

“The actions of Governor el-Rufai are largely propelled by his
rabid obsession to access a loan and mortgage the lives and
livelihood of thousands of workers, and indeed the people of Kaduna
State to the IMF and World Bank.

“We make bold to say that no sane and humane society will
contemplate such inconsiderate policy as a mass sack, talk less of
implementing it at a time everyone, particularly policy makers have
made us believe that the country is barely out of recession.
Serious minds in both the public and private sectors are focused on
reflating the economy, creating jobs and curbing all forms of
social insecurity. Thus, we find the actions of el-Rufai totally
inhuman and economically illogical, and not worth venturing into,”
he said.