The National Industrial Court of Nigeria in Abuja has given the Federal Government and Organised Labour till January 30, 2019, to submit a report of their negotiations on the new minimum wage.
At the resumed hearing in the suit filed by the Federal Government challenging the planned strike by labour on Thursday, the three defendants were represented in court.
Meanwhile, a bailiff, Abolaji Matuluko, in his affidavit of service filed in court, said he had served the court order and other processes filed by the Federal Government in the case on the defendants.
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According to him, he dropped the court processes at the office of the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, as union member refused to either collect the documents from him or allow him to effect service of the NLC President.
Matuluko in his affidavit said: “That the union members at the premises of the Nigeria Labour Congress refused to collect the above court processes and also refused to allow me from effecting the service on the President, Nigeria Labour Congress.
“That I dropped the above stated court processes at the office of the Nigeria Labour Congress and also took a picture as evidence.
“That service is said to have been properly effected in accordance with the NICN Rules, 2007.”
Recall that the Federal Government had on November 2, gone before the National Industrial Court, to obtain an injunction restraining labour from embarking on strike which it had scheduled to commence on November 6.
The defendants in the suit are the Nigeria Labour Congress, the Trade Union Congress and the Nigeria Governors’ Forum.
The plaintiffs – the Federal Government and the Attorney-General of the Federation, Mr. Abubakar Malami – were represented by a team of lawyers led by Mr Emmanuel Omonowa.
Though the defendants were not represented, Omonowa told the court that in line with its order of November 2, negotiations were ongoing regarding the new minimum wage.
Relying on Order 42(1) of the National Industrial Court Rules, he therefore asked the court to give more time to the parties to enable them conclude with the negotiations and report back to the court .
Justice Sanusi Kado adjourned till January 30, 2019 for the parties to report back to court on the negotiations and restated his order of November 2 restraining labour from embarking on the planned strike.
He ordered both parties to maintain status quo.
