Workers’ strike: NLC behaving like bandits, says El-Rufa

 

The wrangle between labour unions and the Kaduna State Government has degenerated into name-calling and caterwauling as the state governor, Nasir El-Rufai, on Tuesday, described the Nigeria Labour Congress demonstration as one akin to banditry.

 

The governor in a statement said, “KDSG (Kaduna State Government) views NLC actions as the mob equivalent of bandits that are kidnapping and menacing our citizens. Bandits illegally use arms, but the NLC’s mob action is for similar ends: to hold hostage freedoms, economic interests, livelihoods and resources of the people of Kaduna State.

 

“Efforts to dress up criminal activity as industrial action do not change the reality of lawbreaking that has unfolded, including their persistently ignoring the prohibition against impeding essential services.

 

“Also, KDSG cannot ignore the illegal pressures brought to disrupt the operations of banks and other private business whose staff and customers do not have any industrial dispute with the state or any other government.”

 

Recall that El-Rufai declared the NLC Chairman, Ayuba Wabba, wanted for “economic sabotage”.

 

But Wabba, who led workers in the state to protest the sacking of over 60,000 civil servants by the El-Rufai-led administration, dared the governor to come and arrest him.

 

Kaduna State has been grounded in the last 48 hours as aviation workers, bank workers, rail workers, electricity workers, teachers, amongst others, down tools in protest against the alleged injustice of the the El-Rufai-led government.