Court restrains Kwara labour from embarking on planned strike
The National Industrial Court, Akure, on Monday granted an order of interim injunction restraining the organised labour in Kwara state from embarking on any strike.
The order as granted by the judge, Justice D.K. Damulak, also restrained the NLC and TUC, their affiliates, and privies from stopping work in whatsoever form as planned from October 12 or 13 or any other subsequent date pending the hearing and determination of the Motion on Notice.
The Court also granted an order restraining the defendants from taking further steps in respect of the subject matter of the suit pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice and another order for substituted service of the originating summons and any order of the court.
In an affidavit filed at the industrial court in the suit No NICN/AK/53/2020, the government is asking whether it was lawful for it to sign an agreement affecting Local government workers when it is not in control of Local Govt finances nor expending its funds.
The case was instituted by the Attorney General of Kwara State as Plaintiff while the defendants include the Nigeria Labour Congress; Trade Union Congress; Joint Negotiation Committee; Aliyu Issa Ore (State NLC Chairman), Ezekiel Adegoke (State TUC Chairman); and Saliu Suleiman (JNC Chairman).
The government is asking the court to declare that the local government is a separate tier of government with its own financial autonomy and which wages could not be determined by the state government, irrespective of some oversight powers the state government may have on them — just as the federal government also has some oversight powers on the states.
The court has adjourned to October 20 to hear the motion.
THE INFORMANT247 earlier reported that the organised labour in the state declared it would begin strike from the early hours of Tuesday, following the state government’s failure to honour its ultimatum on the payment of the new minimum wage.
