Court stops proposed strike by labour in Rivers

Okafor Ofiebor/ Port-Harcourt

The National Industrial Court in Port Harcourt, presided over by  Justice Zainab.  M. Bashir on Monday, granted an order of interim injunction, stopping the proposed strike by labour unions in Rivers State scheduled to commence on midnight, Tuesday, March 24, 2020.

The Court order stopped the leaders of the organised labour in the State under Mrs. Beatrice Itubo, Chairman, Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Austin Jonah, Chairman, Trade Union Congress (TUC), Mathew Olaba (Secretary, NLC), Prince Ndukwe, and Opuwari A. Agbada (Joint Rivers Negotiating Council), or their proxies from embarking on the strike.

Parts of the Injunction reads: ” The National Industrial Court, Port Harcourt, Presided over by Justice Z. M. Bashir,  has granted an Order of Interim Injunction in Suit No. NICN/PHC/41/2020 (Attorney-General, Rivers State Vs. Comrade Beatrice Itubo, Comrade Austin Jonah, Comrade Mathew Olaba, Comrade Prince Ndukwe & Opuwari A. Ogbada) restraining the defendants either by themselves or through their servants, agents, privies, officers or otherwise howsoever called from embarking on a strike on Monday 23rd March, 2020, or any other day thereafter, pending the hearing and determination of the substantive Motion on Notice filed in this suit.

“The trial Court also granted an Order of Interim Injunction restraining the defendants from interfering with the provision of services and other works by their members in the Civil Service of Rivers State pending the hearing and determination of the substantive Motion on Notice filed in this suit.