Federal Government Reverses Course, Drops Lawsuit Against NLC and TUC Amid Protests

The Nigerian Federal Government has dropped its legal case against the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC). 

The decision was communicated through a letter from the Federal Ministry of Justice to the NLC, dated August 7, 2023. The letter, signed by the Permanent Secretary, Beatrice Jeddy-Agba, stated that the contempt proceedings against the congress for their nationwide protest held on Wednesday last week were no longer applicable due to subsequent events.

The Ministry had initially filed the contempt proceedings, citing the need to uphold court orders and prevent disruptions to public facilities during the protests. However, before the proceedings could proceed further, there were interventions from President Bola Tinubu and the National Assembly. As a result of these interventions and the subsequent decision by the labour unions to suspend their industrial action following meetings with the President and the National Assembly, the Ministry decided not to pursue the contempt proceedings any further.

The NLC had previously announced the suspension of its nationwide protests on August 3, 2023, which criticized the contempt summons issued by the National Industrial Court among other issues. The Ministry's letter clarified that the non-issuance of a specific Form 49 rendered the contempt proceedings inchoate, and the concerns raised by the NLC in their communique were now irrelevant due to the changed circumstances.

When asked about the NLC's planned strike, Femi Falana, SAN, who is representing the NLC, stated that the decision lies with the labor leaders. Previously, the NLC had threatened to commence a nationwide strike on August 14, 2023, if the Federal Ministry of Justice did not withdraw the lawsuit against the organized labor.

In summary, the Federal Government has withdrawn its case against the NLC and TUC, citing the resolution of the issues through interventions and the suspension of the protests. The NLC's decision on whether to proceed with the planned strike now depends on the labor leaders.