Union urges senior workers to align with court verdict
By Joy Obakeye
The Pulp Paper and Paper Products, Printing and Publishing Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PPAPPPAPSSAN) has urged all workers from the supervisory level in the sector to honour the jurisdictional scope clarified by the National Industrial Court judgement in a case against the National Union of Printing, Publishing and Paper Products Workers (NUPPPPROW).
The union said that the call is in line for a robust collective bargaining approach while stating that NUPPPPROW jurisdiction is limited to junior workers in the sector, Daily Times reports.
According to a statement signed the National President and General Secretary of PPAPPPAPSSAN, Comrade Dada Joseph, Comrade Comrade Benedict Ikegbulam, the dispute between both unions has been settled and workers must be made to belong to their appropriate union
“No junior workers trade union can negotiate, represent or defend the course of senior employees anywhere in Nigerian for lack of locus stand.
“This is the hard reality and the position of the law in trade unionism in Nigeria.
“It may be pertinent here to inform the workers and the employers in the industry that Nigeria National Industrial Court is the final arbiter in all trade union disputes in Nigeria.”
The union explained that “the jurisdictional scope of the two unions generated a lot of controversies between them for over two decades and every effort of PPAPPPAPSSAN to settle the matter out of court proved abortive.
“It was on the consistent refusal of NUPPPPROW to limit its membership to its jurisdictional scope (junior workers) in the industry that forced PPAPPPAPSSAN to approach the National Industrial Court to interpret the the jurisdictional scope of the two unions in May 2019.”
The union stressed that “the Court presided over by His Lordship HON JUSTICE (DR) I. J. ESSIEN in the Suit no NJIC/LA/243/2019 in its judgement delivered on Monday 11th May 2020 granted PPAPPPAPSSAN all its prayers as follows:
“The jurisdictional scope of the defendant shall be limited to junior staff while that of the claimant to senior staff from supervisory or equivalent level upward within the pulp paper and paper products,printing, and publishing companies and industries wherever it exists in Nigeria as approved and registered by the registrar of trade unions and also pursuant to Memorandum of Agreement reached by both parties at the instance of the federal ministry of labour dated 23rd September 2016.
“An order of this honourable court is hereby made mandating, directing and compelling the defendant to immediately restrict its membership to junior staff within the pulp paper and paper products, printing, and publishing companies and industries in Nigeria.
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“An order of this honourable court is hereby made directing the defendant to immediately de-unionise senior staff of the paper products industry and the printing and publishing industry wherever they may be found in Nigeria.”
The union urged all workers and employers in all paper, printing and publishing industries, companies and corporations to be wary of mischief makers who may be parading or distributing notice of appeal as if it is court Judgement and embrace the realities of the NIC Judgement as highlighted above.
