With the suspension of strike action by aggrieved workers in the employment of Kaduna state government and the truce brokered between Labour and the state, life has returned to normal in the state.
It would be recalled that Kaduna state Government recently sacking hundreds of its employees without pay and penciled down more to be relieved of their jobs.
It was reported that the state government under Governor Nasir El-Rufai had sacked about 70, 000 since 2016.
Decrying the administrative action of the state El-Rufai, the concerned Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) declared industrial action against the state Government to press home demand for a review of the sack in favour of its members.
Thus, the leadership of NLC stormed Kaduna this week and declared a one week strike in the early hours of Monday.
Consequently, power supply was touched thereby throwing the state into darkness just as water supply was disrupted, with telling effects on the poor masses.
Well meaning Nigerians tried to persuade the parties in conflict without success until the Minister of labour, Dr. Chris Ngige decided to wade into the crisis by inviting the leadership of Labour Union and the Kaduna state Governor for a meeting in Abuja.
In honour of this invitation, the National President of NLC, Comrade Ayuba Wabba announced the suspension of strike.
In the agreement signed by both parties and the representative of the federal government during their meeting on Thursday, it was resolved that it is the right of an employer to retrench workers. But in doing so, due process, especially the principle of redundancy, must be followed strictly.
“It was resolved that the principle of redundancy as stated in section 20 of Labour Act, Cap L 1 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria (LFN) should apply,” the agreement reads.
The agreement was signed by Bariatu Mohammed, Head of Service, Kaduna State; Ayuba Wabba, President NLC; Ja’afaru Sani, Commissioner of Local Government Kaduna State; Najeem Usman, Deputy President NLC; Omoabie Akpan, Director Trade Union Services and Industrial Relations; and Muoneke Aloy, Director Finance and Accounts, representing the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Labour.
Following this announcement, both power and water supplies have been restored. Also, commercial and socio economic activities in Kaduna state have returned.
Also, several local joints and beer parlors within and outside Kaduna metropolis visited by our correspondent witnesses assorted customers enjoying themselves with smiles on the faces of operators.
Both the owners of beer parlors and customers, who engaged in discussions bordering on the suspended strike action, prayed the minister will be able to find lasting solution to this crisis.
They complained that it is boring staying indoors and therefore appealed to Governor to “reconsider his action and call back the sacked employees in the interest of their families and of course, security in the state”.
