The National Industrial Court issued a decisive restraining order on Friday, prohibiting the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Trade Union Congress (TUC), and their affiliates from instigating any form of strike or industrial action.
This legal intervention effectively puts a halt to the nationwide strike scheduled by the two labor unions to commence on November 14.
Justice Benedict Bakwaph Kanyip, the President of the Court, granted the restraining order in response to an ex-parte application filed by the Federal Government of Nigeria and the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice. Justice Kanyip invoked sections 17 and 19 of the National Industrial Court Act to issue this order against the organized labor.
Represented by Tijani Gazali, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) and Director of Civil Appeals in the Federal Ministry of Justice, the Federal Government and the AGF argued in the ex-parte application that preventing the planned strike was crucial to averting hardships on law-abiding citizens and businesses. Gazali highlighted the disruptions caused by the labor unions on Thursday, particularly the blockage of entrances to the main airports in the country, emphasizing the potential for a breach of peace if the strike were to proceed.
Convinced by the government’s compelling arguments, Justice Kanyip asserted the court’s authority to intervene through a restraining order aimed at maintaining peace and tranquility. He granted all the requests outlined in the government’s motion paper. Furthermore, Justice Kanyip ordered the posting of the restraining order on the wall of the last known address of the two defendants and directed the publication of the order, along with the originating and other processes, in two major national newspapers.
In a procedural move, the case file has been transferred to Justice Olufunke Anuwe, who specializes in handling similar labor dispute-related matters.
