Court bars Edo from sacking striking judiciary workers

Prosper

The National Industrial Court sitting in Akure, Ondo State, has restrained the Edo State Governor, the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice and the Judicial Service Commission from terminating the appointment of members of the Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria over their five-month industrial action, pending the determination of the Motion on Notice.
The court also restrained the Attorney General of the Federation and the Nigeria Labour Congress, who are also respondents in the Motion on Notice filed by the State Chairman of JUSUN, Comrade Uyi Ogieriakhi.
Judiciary workers in the state have been on strike since January 5, 2015, over what they termed as the unwillingness of the state government to implement a 2014 Abuja High Court order which granted financial autonomy to the judiciary.
They are also demanding the payment of their July, 2014 and January, 2015 salaries from the state government.
Following the lingering strike, the Edo State Judicial Commission had, in statement signed by its Secretary, Mr. Issac Sanu, last week, ordered the workers to report for duty on ‎June 10, 2015 or face dismissal, a directive which the employees defied.
The commission had also commenced the recruitment of staff into various positions in the state judiciary.‎
After hearing submission from counsels of the claimant and respondents, Justice A. N. Ubaka restrained the respondents, whether by themselves, their servants, agents or privies, from terminating the striking workers’ appointments and advertising the positions of JUSUN members.
The court also barred the respondents from filling their positions, on account of the ongoing industrial action embarked upon by members of JUSUN, pending the hearing and determination of the suit.
“It is further ordered that the 1st‎, 2nd and 3rd defendants are hereby restrained from carrying out anything that will lead to the termination of the appointment of the claimant/applicant’s members or advertise their position and/or fill same on account of the ongoing industrial action embarked upon by the claimant/applicant’s members pending the hearing and determination of the Motion on Notice for interlocutory injunction filed in this case,” the court said.
The case was, however, adjourned till June 23, 2015, for further hearing.
Source: PUNCH