The National Industrial Court, NIC has passed a judgment stopping the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) from embarking on their intended strike tomorrow. In his ruling, the NIC President, Justice Babatunde Adejumo, restrained the labour unions from going on strike, pending the determination of a suit the federal government filed before it. He ordered all parties to maintain the current status quo until the legal dispute is settled. He also directed the government to engage in productive dialogue with the NLC towards creating an amicable resolution of their dispute and adjourned the case to May 24 for a hearing of the motion on notice. The Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami SAN, filed an ex-parte application. It is reported that the AGF approached the NIC, begging it to restrain the labor unions from shutting down the nation by backing it on section 14 of the 1999 Constitution. However, it is surprising to know that neither NLC nor TUC was represented in court when the ex-parte motion was granted.

It would be recalled that the NLC and TUC issued a communiqué at the end of an emergency meeting held on Saturday, vowing to embark on a nationwide industrial strike action on Wednesday, if the federal government refuses to reverse the sudden hike in fuel price. Although the official stance of the NLC says it will embark on the strike action, it seems the union is divided. Both the Electricity Workers Union, NUPENG and their allies, who are supposed to be on the same side as the NLC, said they are backing down from embarking on the proposed strike.

Despite the fact that the NLC has failed Nigerians several times, here are few questions that beg to be answered:

• Have they asked state governors what they did with the bailout funds given to them for salaries? Many states still owe its workers salaries for up to five months.
• Can the NLC tell Nigerians how much they generate and spend yearly since they also have a mass transit bus?
• What has the NLC done to assist the unemployed?