The Governor of Kaduna State, Nasir El-Rufai, on Friday said no amount of pressure will make him back down on his plan to sack workers.
The governor in a broadcast also vowed to seek redress against for the ‘crimes’ of the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) which he accused of violating the rights of Kaduna State residents during its three days industrial action.
Mr El-Rufai reiterated that the state ”cannot continue to use 84 to 96 per cent of its revenues to pay salaries of less than one per cent of the population”.
“The rest of our people, all 99 per cent of them, need better schools, hospitals, water supply, roads, markets and support for agriculture to make a living outside government,” the governor said in the broadcast.
The governor spoke after the federal government intervened in the dispute the state government had with labour unions that saw socio-economic activities being shut down for three days in the state.
The two parties later signed an agreement in Abuja and a 10-member committee established to implement their agreement.
Part of the agreement was that the state government will follow due process and apply the “principle of redundancy,” as stipulated in Section 20 of the Labour Act, in its Public Service Revitalisation and Renewal Programme, which is expected to lead to the retrenchment and sack of workers.
The parties also agreed that the NLC will no longer continue its industrial action while no worker shall be punished by the state government on account of their participation in the industrial action.
