By Bimbola Oyesola
The National Industrial Court (NIC) has adjourned hearing on the leadership tussle in the Trade Union Congress (TUC) till July 18, 2022.
According to the court document signed by the registrar, Terkaa Ankyaa, the court equally granted the interlocutory order as prayed on the claimant’s motion paper dated and filed on June 16, 2022.
By the ruling, the court has banned TUC from holding any delegates’ conference until the hearing.
However, following the planned sidelining of the collective agreement reached years back by the members of the union, 10 unions have approached the court for interpretation.
Justice Rabiu Gwandu of the Lagos State division of the NIC, last week, restrained the TUC from holding its 12th triennial delegates’ conference.
Justice Gwandu also stopped the TUC from holding or taking further steps to hold and conduct elections for the position of president and other national positions, pending the hearing and determination of a suit filed by the affiliate unions.
The judge granted the interlocutory orders after entertaining the suit filed by the 10 senior staff unions over the alleged refusal of the current leadership of the TUC to implement a resolution on succession agreed on at the last triennial delegates’ conference.
In the main suit, the claimants specifically accused the TUC of declining to implement the resolution reached and ratified on June 28, 2019, which stated that the Association of Senior Staff of Banks, Insurance and Financial Institutions (ASSBIFI) should produce the next president of the defendant for the years 2022 to 2025.
The claimants also alleged that the part of the resolution, which states that the Food, Beverage and Tobacco Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (FOBTOB) should take the position of TUC president between 2019 and 2022, has been implemented.
They are, therefore, urging the court to determine whether it is proper, fair, just and equitable for the defendant to jettison the agreements and resolutions when the first part has been implemented, the defendant has benefited from it and the claimants have not altered their positions.
They are also asking the court to determine whether, going by the constitution of the defendant, the agreements and resolutions reached and ratified by the defendant should not be restrained from publishing for election the position of president of the defendant for the year 2022 to 2025.