The Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, AGF, Prince Lateef Fagbemi SAN, has notified the Nigeria Labour Congress NLC and Trade Union Congress TUC that their June 3 planned strike action is illegal, unlawful, and unconstitutional.
He has therefore warned them 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 the two workers’ umbrella bodies on the consequences of their actions in respect of the planned strike, the AGF faulted the mode of its declaration as being in gross violation of the labour laws.
The AGF, who cited various relevant laws, insisted that both the NLC and TUC ought to have served a 15-day notice on the federal government before contemplating any strike action.
He said the two bodies also violated the laws of the International Labour Organization ILO, laws because the conditions precedent for the 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.
The letter personally signed by the AGF emphasized that the order of the court had not been appealed by the NLC or TUC, nor was it stayed or set aside, and it counseled the worker’s leaders to respect the subsisting court order.
He declared the planned strike action as premature, illegal, unlawful, and unconstitutional and pleaded with the workers not to proceed with it.
The AGF, however, suggested that the two labour unions proceed with the negotiation meeting already adjourned to a date that would be communicated to them.
The letter is 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.
