Industrial Court President promises quick dispensation of labour justice

The president of the National Industrial Court of Nigeria (NICN), Justice Benedict Kanyip, on Thursday, said, the court will continue to dispense labour Justice to all who appropriately come before it, as, “quickly as possible.”

Setting the tone for a public lecture organised by the court as part of its 2022/2923 legal year celebration, Justice Kanyip said, time is of the essence in the dispensation of labour justice, adding that, it is better to have a bad judgement quickly than a good one too late.

He said, the crisis in labour law has manifested itself in the labour market, which today, is characterised by a growing dualism between those who benefit from protection and those who do not because they are deprived of it by unemployment, new forms of work and gender gaps.

Justice Kanyip said, “It may surprise us to learn that slavery (forced and compulsory labour) is still with us, in refined ways. Child labour is still with us, freedom of association is under severe attack, inequality is on the rise and inhuman working conditions still exist”, he said and added that the ills strain decent work as well as impact negatively on socio-economic development.

The guest speaker, Justice Debora Thomas-Felix, in her speech said, the government needs to create jobs and good working conditions to boost economic development in the country.

In her paper, titled, “The role of Industrial Courts and International Labour Standards in promoting Good Governance to support Economic and Social Development,” Justice Thomas-Felix, who is the President of the Industrial Court of Trinidad and Tobago said the government should do everything possible to improve the lives and dignity of men and women in the country.

She emphasised the role of the Industrial Court in formalising the economy and creating trust in the labour market.

President of the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC), Comrade Ayuba Wabba, in his speech, enumerated the challenges facing the labour market in Nigeria.

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