Court adjourns case of 257 disengaged Total Exploration workers’ till Feb.27
NAN-H-81
Dismissal
Doris Esa
Abuja,Feb.7,2017(NAN)The National Industrial Court, Abuja, has adjourned the case of Felix Adariku and 256 other disengaged workers of the Total Exploration and Production Nigeria Company till Feb.27.
The aggrieved workers took the company to court over alleged unlawful dismissal from the company.
The workers were allegedly laid off from the company on August 2015 without notice.
The judge, Justice Edith Agabakoba, adjourned the case on Tuesday after she ruled that the claimants could jointly sue the respondents.
The court’s decision followed a preliminary objection raised by first respondent counsel, Mr Inam Wilson, who said that the claimants’ suit was incompetent.
The court held that the claimants had right to joint claims as it would be tedious to sue individually.
” The defendant’s preliminary objection failed, this case shall go on for trial,” the court held.
The court, thereafter, ordered that hearing notices be served on Eastbay Trade and Logistics Nigeria and Gobin Security limited, the other respondents in the case.
Reacting to the ruling, claimants’ counsel, Mr Bunmi Aimola, expressed happiness saying that it was a welcome development.
The claimants are also seeking order of the court for the respondents’ to pay them N8 billion, being salaries and arrears that accrued since 2015 till date.
They also prayed the court to prevail on the respondents to pay N5billion for the unlawful termination of their appointments and general damages.(NAN)y
ORD/OU/OU
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Edited by Obike Ukoh
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