By Ishaya Ibrahim, News Editor
Even as the Federal Government battles to scuttle the industrial action threatened by organised labour, individual unions such as the Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria (JUSUN) are threatening to torpedo its efforts.
On Friday, the government, FG obtained a fresh order stopping the Nigeria Labour Congress and the Trade Union Congress from embarking on their planned strike which is to start on Monday.
The restraining order was issued on Friday by Justice Ibrahim Galadima of the National Industrial Court in Abuja, following an ex parte application by the Office of the Attorney-General of the Federation.
This came barely 24 hours after the same judge made a similar restraining ex parte order in favour of a group, Peace and Unity Ambassadors Association, on Thursday.
The duo of Acting Director of the Department Civil Litigation of the Federal Ministry of Justice, Mrs Maimuna Shiru, and Mr Tijjani Gazali, led the Federal Government’s team, who moved the ex parte application that was later granted by Justice Galadima on Friday.
The NLC and TUC had jointly declared to embark on a nationwide strike on Monday to press for the reversal of the recent hike in electricity tariff and petrol pump price.
But staff of the Federal High Court across the country indicated their intention to commence a two-week strike on September 28, 2020.
In a notice, circulated in and around the Federal High Court headquarters building in Abuja, the court staff, under the aegis of the Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria (JUSUN), said they were abandoning their duties in line with the industrial action planned by the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) to begin on Monday.
The unsigned notice reads: “Please be informed that the Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria (JUSUN), Federal High Court chapter shall, in collaboration with the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC), commences a two-week indefinite strike action from Monday the 28th day of September 2020.
“All offices shall remain closed within this period. You are required to comply.”