Ahead of the planned nationwide strike by organised labour on Tuesday, November 14, the National Industrial Court of Nigeria (NICN) has issued an order of interim injunction restraining members of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), the Trade Union Congress (TUC), and their affiliates from proceeding with the strike.
President of the court, Justice Benedict Kanyip, issued the order on Friday while ruling on an ex-parte application brought by the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) on behalf of the Federal Government.
Justice Kanyip said the order shall subsist until the determination of a motion on notice for interlocutory injunctions filed by the AGF.
NLC and TUC had on Tuesday, November 7, threatened to embark on a nationwide strike from Tuesday, November 14, to protest the brutality on Joe Ajaero, President of the NLC.
Ajaero was hospitalised at the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Owerri on Wednesday, November 1, after he was allegedly brutalised by suspected agents of the state and security operatives in Imo State.
The NLC President and other national leaders of NLC and TUC were at the State Secretariat in Owerri to protest among other grievances, the backlog of unpaid salaries, allowances, pensions, gratuities, and non-compliance with the National Minimum Wage Act.
The judge said the court was empowered under Section 7(1) and 19(a) of the NICN Establishment Act to hear such ex-parte application and grant such ex-parte order where a strike is threatened, but yet to be commenced.
