…Advice them to return to negotiating table
The Federal Government has declared the planned nationwide industrial action by Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, and Trade Union Congress TUC, for today Monday , June 3, 2024 as illegal, unlawful and unconstitutional.
The Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, AGF, Prince Lateef Fagbemi SAN, notified, NLC , and TUC, of the illegality of the planned nationwide strike action on Sunday in a statement.
AGF advised the two union leaders to shelve the strike and return to the negotiation table so as not to run foul of the law guiding labour disputes.
In a letter to the leadership of NLC and TUC, prince Fagbemi SAN drew the attentions of the union leaders to the consequences of their proposed actions in respect of the planned strike, as he faulted the mode of its declaration as being in gross violation of the labour laws.
Citing various relevant laws, the AGF insisted that both the NLC and TUC ought to have served the federal government with a 15-day notice of the strike before contemplating any strike action.
He said the two bodies also violated the International Labour Organization, ILO, laws because the conditions precedent for declaration of strike action were neither employed nor met.
He said the order of the National Industrial Court of Nigeria which barred the NLC and TUC from going on strike is still in force and binding on all parties in the labour dispute.
Fagbemi SAN who personally signed the letter noted that the order of the National Industrial Court on the issue had not been appealed against by the NLC and TUC neither was it stayed or set aside, therefore he counselled the worker’s leaders to respect the subsisting court order.
He declared the planned strike action as premature, illegal, unlawful and unconstitutional, just as he asked the workers not to proceed with it.
The AGF, however, suggested that the two labour unions proceed to the negotiation meeting already adjourned to a date that would be communicated to them.
The letter was copied to the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Chief of Staff to the President, Minister of State for Labour and Employment, National Security Adviser NSA, Inspector General of Police IGP and Director General, State Security Service SSS.