The Rivers State Government said it has obtained an Order of Interim Injunction to restrain organised labour from calling out workers on industrial action.
Briefing journalists in Port Harcourt, Rivers State Commissioner for Information and Communications, Paulinus Nsirim said that the organised labour has been duly served with the order of the National Industrial Court.
According to him, listed as defendants are, the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC), Trade Union Congress (TUC), Comrade Ayuba Wabba, Comrade Quadri Olaleye, Comrade Beatrice Itubo and Comrade Austin Jonah.
He stated that Rivers State Government believes in the rule of law and would obey it to the latter in the subsisting matter.
The interim order restrained the defendants either by themselves or through their servants, agents, privies, officers or otherwise from embarking on strike action in Rivers state on 5th, 6th or 7th September 2020.
Nsirim said the order also restrained the defendants not to embark on strike on any other date whether earlier or later pending the hearing and determination of the Motion on Notice for Interlocutory Injunction filed in the suit.
According to him, the defendants,their servants, agents, privies and officers are also restrained from stopping, hindering, preventing, disrupting and /or interfering in any manner whatsoever with the provision of service and other works.
“Other works by their members in the Civil and Public Service of the Claimant /Applicant pending the hearing and determination of the substantive motion on Notice for Interlocutory Injunction already filed,” he stated.
Nsirim stated that the Injunction was obtained on September 1, 2020 from the Port Harcourt Division of the National Industrial Court holden at Lagos before Justice N. C. S. Ogbuanya.
The Commissioner said the Originating Summons, Motion on Notice and other processes in the Suit along with the Interim Order had been served the defendants.
He pointed out that the court processes and the Interim Order were published in Vanguard and Daily Sun Newspapers of Thursday, September 3, 2020 as substituted means of service on the Defendants.
Nsirim noted that if organised labour decided to disobey the law, it would be considered as contempt of court and the law would take its course.