Industrial court forbids NLC, TUC from going on Nov 14 strike
The National Industrial Court (NIC) has restrained the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) as well as their affiliates from embarking on any form of strike or industrial action.
The two major labour unions were on Friday evening ordered to stop their nationwide strike action scheduled to commence on November 14.
The unions had after an extraordinary National Executive Council meeting on Tuesday in Abuja declared a total nationwide strike from November 14, 2023.
The unions took the decision following the alleged assault on the NLC National President, Joe Ajaero, last week in Imo state.
However, the Federal Government and the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice filed an ex-parte application praying the court to stop the unions from embarking on the planned strike.
In the application, the FG and AGF told the court that the planned strike would inflict untold hardship on law-abiding citizens and their businesses.
Counsel for the Federal Government and the AGF, Tijani Gazali, SAN, during the proceedings on Friday argued that many Nigerians suffered when the labour unions during their protest on Thursday blocked the entrances to the main airports in the country.
In his ruling, the President of the Court Justice Benedict Kanyip issued the restraining order following an ex-parte application brought before the Court by the Federal Government of Nigeria and the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice.
Justice Kanyip invoked Sections 17 and 19 of the National Industrial Court Act to issue the restraining order against the labour.
“It is within the power of the court to intervene by way of restraining order to ensure peace and tranquillity, ” he said.
He says that unless the planned strike action is stopped, there may be a likelihood of a breach of peace and tranquillity in the country.
Besides, Justice Kanyip directed that the restraining order be pasted on the wall of the Labour House being the last known address of the two defendants to draw their attention to the Court’s position.
The judge also directed that the order along with the originating and other processes be served on the defendants by publication in two major national dailies.
Meanwhile, the case file has been transferred to Justice Olufunke Yemi Anuwe who was said to be handling similar labour dispute-related matters between the two same parties.
