Court orders FG to register NANTS as new varsity workers’ union

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The National Industrial Court of Nigeria, sitting in Abuja, has ordered the Federal Government and the Registrar of the Trade Unions to register the newly formed National Association of Non-Teaching Staff of Nigerian Universities as a trade union.

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In the judgement delivered by Justice Osatohanmwen Obaseki-Osaghae, the court ordered the three defendants to register the NANTS (claimant) as a trade union under the Trade Union Act. A copy of the enrolment of judgement order of the court was made available to our correspondent on Tuesday.

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The varsity workers had earlier filed a case, suit number NICN/ABJ/345/2023, before the court through one comrade Niyi Akinnibi, seeking an order directing the government to register the National Association of Non-Teaching Staff of Nigerian Universities as a trade union.

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The defendants in the suit are the Registrar of Trade Unions, the Minister of Labour and Employment, and the Attorney General of the Federation.

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The court held that the order was wrong for the first and second defendants to refuse to register NANTS as a trade union. It also restrained the defendants and the agents from denying claimant registration as a trade union under the Trade Unions Act.

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The judgement read, “A declaration is hereby made that the defendants are bound to register the claimant’s National Association of Non-Teaching Staff of Nigerian Universities as a Trade Union under the Trade Union Act.

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” A declaration is hereby made that the refusal of the first and second defendants to register the claimant’s National Association of Non-Teaching Staff of Nigerian Universities as a Trade Union under the Trade Unions Act is wrongful.

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“A mandatory order is hereby made directing the first and second defendants to register forthwith and or to issue the claimant forthwith with the certificate of registration of the National Association of Non-Teaching Staff of Nigerian Universities as a Trade Union under the Trade Unions Act.

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“An order of perpetual injunction is hereby made restraining the defendants, their agents, privies, assigns or any other person or authority deriving authority from them from denying claimant registration as a trade union under the Trade Unions Act.”

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It was gathered that members of the new union pulled out of the Non-Academic Staff Union of Universities to register the NANTS with branches in all state and federal universities across the country.

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