The labour union, in a letter it wrote to the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Prince Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, said it would not be dissauded by Federal Government’s threat to initiate contempt proceedings against it.
The NLC, through its lawyer, Mr. Femi Falana, SAN, maintained that contrary to FG’s claim, no court barred its members from exercising their fundamental rights to freedom of assembly and freedom of expression to protest against the excruciating economic pains being experienced by the masses.
It argued that FG, having withdrawn the contempt proceedings it earlier filed against both the NLC and the Trade Union Congress, TUC, for embarking on public protest on August 2, 2023, “ought not to have threatened the NLC with contempt.”
The Labour Union’s position was contained in it’ls response to a letter the AGF wrote to its lawyer, titled: “MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING REACHED BETWEEN THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT OF NIGERIA AND THE TRADE UNION CONGRESS (TUC) AS A RESULT OF DISPUTE ARISING FROM WITHDRAWAL OF SUBSIDY ON THE PRICE OF PREMIUM MOTOR SPIRIT (PMS) ON MONDAY THE 2ND DAY OF OCTOBER, 2023.”
According to the NLC: “It would be recalled that following the removal of fuel subsidy by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on May 29, 2023, the Federal Government commenced negotiations with the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) as the subsidy removal policy had brought untold hardship to Nigerians.
“While the negotiations were in progress, the Federal Ministry of Justice rushed to the National Industrial Court to file Suit No NICN/ABJ/158/2023 between Federal Government of Nigeria & Anor. v Nigeria Labour Congress & Anor in respect of the same issues. On June 5, 2023 the Honourable Justice Yemi Anuwe granted the application of the Federal Government for an ex parte order to restrain the NLC and TUC from embarking on strike against the removal of fuel subsidy.
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