Court stops NLC, TUC fuel subsidy strike

Justice Olufunke Anuwe of the National Industrial Court of Nigeria, Abuja, on Monday, restrained the organised labour from embarking on strike over the removal of fuel subsidy.

The judge, who gave the order while ruling on an application filed by the Federal Government, said the plaintiffs had sufficiently proved that the planned strike was capable of disrupting activities in the health and other sectors of the country.

The federal government approached the court to issue an interim injunction restraining the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress (TUC) from proceeding with the strike.

The NLC had last week given the federal government a five-day ultimatum to revert to the old price of petrol or face a nationwide strike.

The ultimatum expired on Wednesday.

The Congress action followed the return of long queues at filling stations and an increase in the prices of petrol across the country following President Bola Tinubu’s announcement on the removal of fuel subsidy in his inaugural address last Monday.

The National Union of Electricity Employees (NUEE), Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria (JUSUN) and other unions had directed their workers to join the strike.

At the proceeding, the judge ordered the unions to suspend the planned strike pending the hearing and determination of the ex parte motion filed by the federal government.

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She said: “The defendants/respondents are hereby restrained from embarking on the planned industrial action/or strike of any nature, pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice dated 5th June 2023.

“It is ordered that the defendant/respondents be immediately served with the originating processes in this suit, the motion on notice and the order of this court hereby made.

“The motion on notice is hereby fixed for hearing on 19th June 2023. Hearing notices to that effect shall be served on the defendants/respondents along with the other processes.”

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