Labour leaders face arrests as AGF declares June 3 strike illegal, writes DSS, police

Leaders of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress risk being arrested by the DSS and the police if the planned Monday June 3 strike goes ahead.

This is as the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, AGF, Prince Lateef Fagbemi SAN, has decleared the planned industrial action illegal and petitioned the Director-General, State Security Service and the Inspector-General of Police.

The Nigerian Economy learnt that the AGF has also notified the leaders of the NLC and TUC that their June 3 planned strike action is illegal, unlawful and unconstitutional.

The AGF has therefore warned the labour union to shelve the strike and return to the negotiation table so as not to run foul of the law guiding labour disputes.

In the letter to the leadership of the two labour centres on the consequences of their actions in respect of the planned strike, the AGF faulted the mode of its declaration as being in gross violation of the labour laws.

The AGF, who cited various relevant laws, insisted that both the NLC and TUC ought to have served a 15-day notice on the Federal Government before contemplating any strike action.

He said the two bodies also violated the International Labour Organization, ILO, laws because the conditions precedent for declaration of strike action were neither employed nor met.

He said the order of the National Industrial Court of Nigeria which barred the NLC and TUC from going on strike is still in force and binding on all parties in the labour dispute.

The letter personally signed by the AGF emphasized that the order of the court had not been appealed by the NLC and TUC neither was it stayed or set aside and counselled the worker’s leaders to respect the subsisting court order.

He declared the planned strike action as premature, illegal, unlawful and unconstitutional and pleaded with the workers not to proceed with it.

The AGF, however, suggested that the two labour unions proceed to the negotiation meeting already adjourned to a date that would be communicated to them.

The letter was copied to the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Chief of Staff to the President, Minister of State for Labour and Employment, National Security Adviser NSA, Inspector General of Police IGP and Director General, State Security Service SSS.