The Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Prince Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), has called on organized labor to refrain from their planned indefinite strike scheduled to begin on October 3. Fagbemi’s request is based on a June 5 order from the National Industrial Court that restrained both the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) from engaging in industrial action related to fuel subsidy removal and related issues.
In a letter to Femi Falana (SAN), the lawyer representing the NLC and TUC, Fagbemi emphasized that proceeding with the strike would violate the existing court order and show disregard for the court’s dignity and integrity. He urged Falana to persuade his clients to respect the court order and allow negotiations to address the challenges associated with fuel subsidy removal to continue.
Fagbemi highlighted that issues related to the removal of fuel subsidy, fuel price hikes, and provisions for palliatives and workers’ welfare had already been submitted to the National Industrial Court for adjudication. Therefore, he argued that the proposed strike would be a clear violation of the pending interim injunctive order granted on June 5, 2023.
The Attorney General reiterated that court orders must be obeyed, regardless of anyone’s opinion, and called on the labor unions to observe and adhere to court orders rather than breach them. He encouraged the unions to put the strike on hold to allow for a resolution of the matter.
