– As Organised Labour denies court ruling, insists on strike; Tripartite meeting holds

Organised Labour, comprising the Nigerian Labour Congress and the Trade Union Congress has been ordered not to embark on its indefinite strike scheduled to commence on November 6.

The National Industrial Court of Nigeria under Justice Sanusi Kado, on Friday, gave the order in a ruling on an ex parte application moved on behalf of the Federal Government by the Solicitor-General of the Federation and Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Justice, Mr. Dayo Apata.

Justice Kado agreeing with the Solicitor-General ruled that if the strike is allowed it would lead to huge economic loss to both public and private institutions and could jeopardise the health of many Nigerians who would not be able to access health facilities during the period.

Recall that, the organised labour had threatened to commence an indefinite strike action to press for the increase in the national minimum wage from the current N18,000.

The last meeting of the tripartite negotiation committee on the minimum wage had ended in deadlock after the Federal Government insisted that it could only afford to pay N25,000, while the governors under the aegis of the Nigerian Governors’ Forum had held on to N22,500 and the labour N30,000.

Apart from the NLC and the TUC, the NGF is also joined as a defendant in the suit.

Justice Kado adjourned the matter till November 8 for the hearing of the motion on notice seeking the interlocutory injunction to stop the strike.

The judge ordered that the court order and other papers be filed on all the defendants.

Meanwhile, Organised Labour has insisted on embarking on a nationwide strike in spite of the National Industrial Court ruling in Abuja.

Mr Ayuba Wabba, President, Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) President, said this on Friday in Abuja.

According to Wabba, we are not aware of any court ruling and we have not being served any notice.

“We have just concluded our joint organ meetings of the Central Working Committees of the Labour Centres of the NLC, Trade Union Congress (TUC) and the United Labour Congress (ULC) here in Lagos.

“The meeting is the final preparation for a full engagement with the government on the new National Minimum Wage and we have taken our decision to go on the strike.

“Our decision is to go ahead with the nationwide strike unless the government does the needful,” he said.

Also, Mr Musa Lawal, TUC General Secretary, the centre was not was aware of any court ruling concerning the planned strike by organised labour.

“We are not aware because we have not been served any court order; we have taken our decision and we are going to stand by that,” he added.

In a departure, the Minister of Labour and Employment, Sen. Chris Ngige, says conciliation on the national minimum wage will continue on Sunday despite the court injunction restraining organised labour from embarking on strike.

The minister in the statement, however, insists that the conciliation meeting involving organised Labour, the organised private sector and government scheduled for Sunday remain unchanged.

“The conciliation meeting involving the Organised Labour, the Organised Private Sector and Government scheduled for Sunday, Nov. 4 at the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation by 6 p.m. is still on course and will hold,’’ he said.

Ngige said that this will be followed by another meeting of the National Tripartite Minimum Wage Committee meeting on Monday, Nov. 5 at the same venue.

The minister appealed to all tripartite members to attend the meetings in the interest of the nation and finding a solution to the minimum wage impasse.