The Nigerian Federal Government took legal action against the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) on Wednesday, filing a contempt lawsuit.
The move came in response to the organized labour's decision to proceed with an industrial action, despite previous statements by the Solicitor-General of the Federation and Permanent Secretary, Beatrice Jedy-Agba, that the action was illegal. Furthermore, there was an existing interim order restraining the NLC from engaging in any industrial action.
The lawsuit, labeled as NICN/ABJ/158/2023, names the Federal Government and the Attorney General of the Federation as the applicants and the Nigeria Labour Congress and the Trade Union Congress as the defendants. The lawsuit was directed to specific officials within the NLC and TUC, including their respective presidents, deputy presidents, and general secretaries.
The contempt notice, signed by Senior Registrar Balogun Olajide, warned the defendants that failure to comply with the order of the National Industrial Court, delivered by Justice Y. Anuwe on June 5, 2023, could lead to contempt of court charges and potential imprisonment. The court order specifically restrained the defendants from carrying out any planned industrial action until the hearing and determination of the Motion on Notice dated June 5, 2023.
The court set a date for the hearing of the Motion on Notice, scheduled for June 19, 2023, and ordered the defendants to be served with the necessary documents related to the case.
To emphasize the seriousness of the situation, the Federal Government also attached a copy of the exparte order made by Justice Anuwe on June 5, 2023, to the notice of contempt proceeding forwarded to the NLC and TUC officials.
0 Comments