UNION BANK: JUDICIARY SHOULD STOP FRIVOLOUS JUDGEMENTS AND INJUNCTIONS
February 7th, 2011.
THE PROBLEM
Our attention has been drawn to the reported interim injunction allegedly granted by the National Industrial Court (NIC) restraining the NLC and its affiliates from carrying out a legitimate industrial action in Union Bank Nigeria Plc.
This is a legitimate NLC’s reaction to the decision of Union Bank of Nigeria Plc. to unilaterally withdraw recognition of Association of Senior Staff of Banks, Insurance and other Financial Institutions (ASSBIFI) and their in-house union, Union Bank Association of Senior Staff (UBASS). ASSBIFI is an affiliate of Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC).
JUSTICE, NOT FRIVOLOUS JUDGEMENTS
The Judiciary as the last hope of ordinary people must stop giving frivolous anti-labour judgements. Judges must promote justice to all, not cheap judgement to a few corporate bodies. The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) is never a party to any case before the National Industrial Court (NIC). How then can the court unilaterally grant feverish injunction restraining NLC from carrying out legitimate duty to her members?
ONLY WORKERS DETERMINE WHO REPRESENT THEM
The Judiciary in particular the National Industrial Court (NIC) and Industrial Arbitration Panel (IAP) should not be willing tools to undermine the rights of workers as sanctioned by the International Labour Organisation (ILO) which Nigeria is a signatory. Only workers know which union should represent them and NOT the employers.
UNION BANK SHOULD RESPECT UNIONS AND RESUME NEGOTIATIONS
The Union Bank management has a lot of responsibilities to reposition “a big, strong and reliable Bank” of Nigeria. The management should therefore avoid unnecessary trouble-over-load by dabbling into internal trade union issues in place of its core banking functions.
The current management of the bank led by Mrs. Funke Osibodu started on a good note through negotiation with the very ASSBIFI it now turns around to disown. We urge the management to return to the path of dialogue to resolve outstanding labour matters, recall sacked 13 unionists and abandon court judgement of dubious value.
The point cannot be over-emphasized that frivolous judgements and injunctions cannot run Union Bank or any establishment for that matter. What will run the bank are the happy and well-motivated unionised workers. Union Bank should return to the process of collective bargaining with the unions as NLC will not respect any frivolous judgement or injunction.
Nigeria Judiciary already has enough crisis of confidence. NIC Judges dare not compound the problems of the Judiciary.
Issa Aremu mni.
GENERAL SECRETARY NUTGTWN/VICE-PRESIDENT NLC
