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Justice Osatohanmwen Obaseki-Osatohanmwen of the National Industrial Court of Nigeria has ordered the Nigerian Government and the Registrar of Trade Unions to register the National Association of Non-Teaching Staff of Nigerian Universities (NANTS) as a trade union.
The judge directed the defendants to formally register NANTS under the provisions of the Trade Unions Act.
The university workers had approached the court through Comrade Niyi Akinnibi, seeking an order compelling the authorities to recognise and register the association as a trade union.
The defendants in the suit included the Registrar of Trade Unions, the Minister of Labour and Employment, and the Attorney General of the Federation.
In its judgment, the court held that the first and second defendants’ refusal to register NANTS was wrongful.
It further restrained the defendants and their representatives from denying the claimant registration as a trade union under the Trade Unions Act.
The court also granted a mandatory order directing the defendants to immediately register the association and issue its certificate of registration.
In part of the ruling, the court stated that the defendants are legally bound to register NANTS and that their refusal was unlawful.
It also issued a perpetual injunction preventing the defendants or their agents from withholding the union’s registration.
Reports indicate that members of NANTS broke away from the Non-Academic Staff Union of Universities (NASU) to form the new body, which has a presence in both federal and state universities across Nigeria.
