The Federal Government of Nigeria has taken legal action against the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) for allegedly defying a court order that prohibited the unions from engaging in industrial action.
The government filed a “notice of consequences of disobedience to order of court,” also known as “Form 48,” before the National Industrial Court in Abuja on Wednesday.
The notice warned the unions that failure to comply with the court’s directions, as stated in the order delivered by Honourable Justice Y. Anuwe on June 5, 2023 (attached as an enrolled order), could result in contempt of court charges and potential imprisonment.
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Despite the legal action taken against them, Organised Labour initiated protests against what they perceived as “anti-people” policies of the President Bola Tinubu administration. The protests were staged in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, as well as in several other states across the country, including Lagos, Benue, Abia, Plateau, Kaduna, Kano, Rivers, Zamfara, Katsina, Cross River, Ebonyi, Enugu, Kwara, Ogun, Imo, Ondo, and Edo.
During the protests, top officials of the NLC and TUC, along with hundreds of their members, marched from the Unity Fountain in the Federal Capital Territory.
Other affiliated unions, such as the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG), the National Union of Electricity Employees of Nigeria (NUEE), National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), and the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), also participated in the nationwide demonstrations.