NLC suspends strike action in Kaduna

The Nigeria Labour Congress yesterday suspended its five day industrial action in protest against sack of over 7,000 workers in Kaduna State.
Addressing the media around 7.20p.m in Kaduna on Wednesday, the NLC President, Ayuba Wabba said the suspension was at the instance of various intervention of the Federal Government, Governors Forum and others.
According to him, the Federal Government through the Ministry of Labour and Employment sent a letter to the NLC yesterday for a meeting between the two warring parties.
“We have said that we are open to negotiation and as we have gotten the letter today inviting us for a meeting tomorrow by the Minister of Labour, we intend to attend and because of that we want to announce that we are suspending the action,” he said.
Wabba said the leadership had to hold an emergency meeting of both the National Administrative Council (NAC) and the National Executive Council (NEC) to deliberate on the next line of action before arriving at the decision.
He however said that the Congress would hold an emergency meeting on the 25th of May to further review the action in Kaduna State and the report of meeting with the federal government today.
Wabba explained that all the leadership of the Congress and the Kaduna State council will attend the meeting today as the state was the one directly involved.
He said the strike and the protest have been successful, praising all the affiliates of the Congress for their resolute in pursuing the struggle.
“I want to commend all the Kaduna state residents for their supports while the action last. No doubt the strike has been successful and we thank the people of Kaduna for  believing in us,” he said.
Wabba noted that even those who were hired against labour have been coming around to express their ignorance about the purpose for which they were conscripted.
Recall that the Nigeria Labour Congress had commenced the action since the midnight of Sunday May 16 and for the duration all the socio-economic activities in Kaduna have been in limbo as labour has shut down the airport, banks, fuel station, power station rail services and others.
But for the intervention of the federal government both the electricity union and the NUPENG would have shut down their services from tomorrow nationwide.