By Ameh Ejekwonyilo
Abuja
National Industrial Court of Nigeria (NICN) in Abuja has ordered construction firm, Julius Berger Nigeria Plc, not to lay-off its over 500 security personnel who ran to the court for an interim order of injunction following an alleged plot to relief the workers of their jobs.
After listening to counsel submissions yesterday on the Motion on Notice, the presiding judge, Justice M. N. Esowe, said: “The defendant is hereby ordered to maintain status quo till the ruling on the motion on notice is delivered.”
Subsequently, she adjourned the suit till November 6, 2014, for ruling on the motion on notice.
The applicants, Olowo Toyin and Aigbeni Matthew, representatives of the staff of Security Department of the 1st defendant, Julius Berger Nigeria Plc, Abuja in suit no: NICN/ABJ/270/ 2014, on September 28 dragged Julius Berger before the court over “plans to sack” the applicants.
At the hearing yesterday, lawyer to the defendants, Mr. Dotun Sokale informed the court that the applicants did not serve the court processes on his clients on time but wondered why an interim order was given against his clients on September 30, in their absence.
The court had on September 30 granted an interim order against the defendants to maintain status quo.
Responding, the applicants counsel, Mr. Omar Musa maintained that Julius Berger had been duly served with the proof of service in the court records.
The issues submitted by the claimants to the court for determination are: “Whether by the virtue of the extant laws relating to contract of employment and the provisions of service between the parties, the 1st defendant (Julius Berger) can proceed to lay-off the claimants aforementioned without a prior formal notice and also the determination of and payment in full of all entitlements due to the claimants before embarking on such termination?”
Among the reliefs/ prayers being sought are: “A declaration that the defendants attempt, threats and plans to sack and disengage or massively terminate and Replace the employment of the claimants in the circumstance (without prior notice with determination, computation and payment of the full entitlements due to the claimants) is unconstitutional, illegal, null and void.”