Government has rushed to the National Industrial Court to stop the Tuesday 6th November strike action by the labour movement to protest the non-recognition of N30, 000 as new national minimum wage.
The court yesterday restrained the leaderships of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress (TUC) from embarking upon the action.
This comes as the Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr Chris Ngige hinted that the Federal Government would on Sunday, 4th November 2018 meet with the tripartite committee in Abuja.
Hearing of the case, which was instituted by the Attorney General of the Federation and Federal Government, has been fixed for Thursday, 8th November 2018 in Abuja. The organised labour had threatened to embark on an industrial action to protest slated for next week Tuesday, 6th November 2018 if the Federal Government fails to put in place necessary motion towards sending the bill to the National Assembly for legislation process for a new minimum wage for the country.
Delivering ruling in an ex- parte application by Justice Kado Sanusi, the court restrain the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) from engaging in the proposed strike pending the determination of the substantive suit filed by the Federal Government and the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF).
Justice Sanusi also restrained the NLC, TUC and the Incorporated Trustees of the Nigerian Governors Forum listed as the first to the third defendants from taking steps capable of destroying the subject of the dispute.
In granting the ex-parte injunction, the Judge said he granting the ex-parte application argued by the Solicitor-General of the Federation (SGF), Dayo Apata, because of the likely devastating effect of the strike on the nation, the economy and the Nigerian people.
Dr Ngige said the conciliatory meeting with the tripartite committee would take place in Abuja with a view to arriving at a figure that would be acceptable to all the parties.
Ngige assured Nigerians that government would do everything in her power to avert the organised labour strike schedule for Tuesday, November 6th.
However, Ngige said he was surprised that the Governors’ Forum failed to raise its figure to N24, 000 while declining to comment on why the Federal Government reneged on the N30, 000 initially agreed by the tripartite committee before it adjourned.
