Following the landmark judgement recently issued by the Court of Appeal on the jurisdiction of labour unions in the country, more government agencies are set to implement the provisions of the judgement.
The latest among such agencies is the Industrial Training Fund (ITF).
Abdullahi Ibrahim Tsoho, Head of Industrial Relations, Staff Welfare, and Career Development at the ITF, revealed this today during a visit to the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC).
Abdullahi Tsoho, who led a delegation from the ITF, stressed that they were in the commission to leverage its experience with a view to implementing the recent pronouncement of the court of appeal.
The delegation was jointly received by the Director of Human Resources, Olayemi Oyeniyi, and the CAC SSASCGOC President, Comrade Suleiman Girei, in the company of some executive members.
Olayemi Oyeniyi spoke on the Commission’s approach to ensuring effective management of labour relations.
For his part, Comrade Suleiman Girei recalled the circumstances that led to their victory at the court of appeal and pledged that SSASCGOC would continue to operate on the principles of dialogue and mutual respect to settle industrial disputes.
CAC News reports that also on the visiting delegation to the Commission was Geoffrey Semnoe, legal officer at the ITF.
Recalled that the Court of Appeal had on Friday, July 28, 2023, held that SSASCGOC reserved the right to unionise Senior Staff from Level 7 and above in all Statutory Corporations and government-owned companies, while AUPCTRE can only unionise junior staff from Level 6 downwards as provided by the Labour laws.
The judgement was the aftermath of an appeal instituted by the Amalgamated Union Of Public Corporations Civil Service Technical And Recreational
service Employers (AUPCTRE) against the Senior Staff Association Of Statutory
Corporations And Government OWNED Companies(SSASCGOC).
The appeal was against the judgement of the National Industrial Court sitting in Abuja in Suit No. NICN/ABJ/125/2019 delivered on December 17, 2019 by Hon. Justice O.Y. Anuwe. The notice of appeal which was filed on December 20, 2019, contained six grounds of appeal.
CAC News reports that Justices of the Court of Appeal; Ugochukwu Anthony Ogakwu, Mohammed Mustapha, and James Gambo Abundaga all consented to the landmark judgement, which put to rest the arguments surrounding the jurisdictions of the two Unions.
