A staff member of the National Industrial Court of Nigeria (NICN) has raised the alarm over what he described as worsening working conditions, poor welfare, and unjust salary disparities within the institution, calling on President Bola Tinubu and the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN) to urgently intervene.
In a strongly worded petition titled “A Cry for Justice: The Plight of Staff at the National Industrial Court of Nigeria,” the staff member identified as Comrade E.K.O. accused the court’s management of turning a blind eye to the very rights and protections it was established to uphold.
According to the worker, while employees in other federal courts recently received substantial salary adjustments, NICN staff were subjected to far lower increments without justification. The disparity, he claimed, reflects a deeper pattern of neglect, frustration, and systemic injustice within the court system.
“The National Industrial Court, constitutionally empowered to defend workers’ rights, has now become a violator of those same rights,” Comrade E.K.O. lamented. “Ironically, the institution charged with the responsibility of resolving labour disputes now subjects its own employees to inhumane working conditions, poor welfare, and complete disregard for their wellbeing.”
The staff member further alleged that while other courts have started paying backlog of salaries and arrears, NICN workers remain unpaid and demoralised, with no clear communication from the management.
“Our colleagues in other federal courts have started receiving their arrears. At NICN, we are still waiting in vain,” he said.
He painted a grim picture of the working environment at the court, citing poor healthcare provisions, lack of staff training, excessive taxation, and an increasingly toxic atmosphere. “Our staff members are dying weekly,” he said, “unable to afford medical care due to delayed entitlements and lack of support.”
The petition, which has begun to gain traction among labour rights activists and civil society organisations, is addressed to President Tinubu, the National Assembly, and the CJN, urging them to step in before the crisis escalates further.
“We are not asking for favours,” the staff member declared. “We are demanding fairness, equity, and the right to live and work with dignity.”
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