Justice Osatohanmwen Obaseki-Osaghae of the National Industrial Court of Nigeria has ordered the Federal Government and the Registrar of Trade Unions to register the newly formed National Association of Non-Teaching Staff of Nigerian Universities (NANTS) as a trade union.

Delivering judgment, Justice Obaseki-Osaghae directed the defendants to register NANTS as a trade union under the Trade Unions Act.

The university workers had earlier approached the court through Comrade Niyi Akinnibi, seeking an order compelling the government to register the National Association of Non-Teaching Staff of Nigerian Universities as a trade union.

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

The court held that the refusal of the first and second defendants to register NANTS as a trade union was wrongful.

It also restrained the defendants and their agents from denying the claimant registration as a trade union under the Trade Unions Act.

Part of the judgment reads: “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 Unions Act.

“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.

“A mandatory order is hereby made directing the first and second defendants to register forthwith and/or 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.

“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 the claimant registration as a trade union under the Trade Unions Act.”

It was gathered that members of the new union pulled out of the Non-Academic Staff Union of Universities (NASU) to register NANTS, which has branches in state and federal universities across the country. (Channels)