12th March, 2013
The President of the National Industrial Court (NIC), Justice Babatunde Adejumo, on Monday reminded workers that locking up of public places during strikes is a criminal offence.
Adejumo made this known while addressing some members of staff who joined the Judicial Staff Union of Nigeria (JUSUN) in the ongoing strike.
JUSUN embarked on strike yesterday to demand for the implementation of the Judicial Salary Structure (CONJUSS) as applicable to other judicial staff.
NAN reports that when Adejumo arrived at about 10 a.m. the entrance to the gate of the court was under lock and key.
He appealed to the workers to exercise their rights in accordance with the law, pointing out that locking up of public places was a criminal act and advised them to fight their course rightly.
He said that dialogue was a better option than going on strike, adding that joining a strike should be voluntary and not through force.
“You have a good cause, but fight it in the right manner so that the aim will not be defeated in the end.
“Locking up the entrance gate is not the solution, dialogue is the best thing to do in one way or the other,” he said.
Adejumo, however, told the workers that he was not going to tell the workers to return to work or go on with the strike, but he urged them to do the right thing.
“I do not want to say don’t go on strike and I don’t want to say go in and work, but if you want to work, go in and work and if you want to join the strike you have the right and we will know that you are not at work.
“The gate is open, anybody that wants to work can go in. It is up to you to decide the way you want to handle it,” he said.
NAN reports that after addressing the workers, the Chief Security Officer of the court, Mr. Rafiu Olasiyan, ordered the security men to cut off the padlocks on the orders of Adejumo.
Adejumo went ahead to sit and heard some cases.