The federal government, through the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF), Lateef Fagbemi, has warned unions against the indefinite strike they plan to undertake in protest of the difficulties associated with the removal of petroleum subsidies.
The unions that make up the Nigerian Labor Congress (NLC) and the Trades Union Congress (TUC) had declared their plan to embark on an indefinite national strike on 3 October.
The AGF, who is also Minister of Justice, wrote to the unions on Thursday through her lawyer, Femi Falana, warning them to desist from continuing with the planned strike.
In the letter dated September 26, but made public on Thursday by Modupe Ogundoro, Press Director of the Federal Ministry of Justice, the minister reminded the unions of a current court order issued in a pending case before the labor court over the dispute.
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Fagbemi said the proposed strike “is a clear violation of the outstanding interim injunction granted on June 5, 2023, which prevents both the Nigerian Labor Congress and the Trade Union Congress from embarking on any industrial action.”
The AGF highlighted the events leading up to the latest threat from the unions.
He referred to the exchange of correspondence between his ministry and Falana’s law firm “before and after the nationwide ‘action/protest’ declared by the NLC on August 2, 2023.”
“While its clients have maintained that the NLC’s nationwide protest promotes their constitutional right to undertake protests, the Ministry has repeatedly warned of the need to advise its clients to refrain from resorting to self-help and taking actions capable of undermining orders.” subsisting of a court of competent jurisdiction,” said Mr. Fagbemi, Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN).
The unions had been fighting with the federal government since President Bola Tinubu announced the removal of the fuel subsidy at his inauguration on May 29.
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