THE Honourable Justice O. Y. Anuwe of the Abuja Judicial Division of the National Industrial Court on Friday ordered the Nigeria Civil Service Union (NCSU) from either embarking on its nationwide plan to picket the offices of the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) or calling for a strike at any of FIRS’ offices in the country.
This is contained in a statement from FIRS’ Director, Communications and Liaison Department, Abdullahi Ismaila Ahmad.
According to the statement, Justice Anuwe issued the order of interim injunction in a suit filed by the FIRS against NCSU following the threat by the union to shut down the operations of the FIRS with picketing of its offices nationwide from Monday, July 26, 2021 over alleged anti-union practices by the management of FIRS.
“The Respondents [NCSU] are restrained from picketing the offices of the applicant on 26th July 2021 or any other day pending the determination of the Motion on Notice. They are also restrained from going on strike, as by so doing, the very essence of the substantive suit is defeated. What this translates to in other words is that parties are to maintain the status quo, and are not to do anything that may be detrimental to the interest of the public, pending the determination of the Motion on Notice. The order to maintain status-quo however binds both parties in this suit,” Ahmad’s statement reads in part.
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According to the statement, the NIC in another suit filed by NCSU, with reference number NINC/ABJ/157/2021, turned down the union’s prayers for an order compelling the FIRS to continue the automatic deduction of check-off dues for the NCSU from the salaries of the FIRS’ workers.
Justice Anuwe adjourned both cases to October 15, 2021 for a hearing of the motion on notice and originating summons, the statement said.
The FIRS said it took the decision to dissolve NCSU’s FIRS Unit because it is a junior staff union. It argued that NCSU Unit’s executive members in the FIRS are senior staff as the junior staff cadre is non-existent in the FIRS.
Efforts to reach the President of the union, Comrade Lawrence Amaechi, or General Secretary, Comrade Yahya Ndako, failed as courts to their mobile phones could not go through.
