By DADA AYOKHAI
The National industrial Court sitting in Benin has delivered judgement in favour of the Union of Tipper and Quarry Employers, granting her the sole right to collect all forms of union due.
Justice A.A. Adewemimo, delivered the judgement in a Suit No NICN/BEN/36/2018 filed by a rival body , the incorporated Trustees of Edo Tippers Drivers Association of Nigeria against Union of Tipper and Quarry Employers of Nigeria, challenging the power of the latter to collect dues.
The Court claimed that the claimant, the association of Tipper Drivers lacks the legal capacity to institute the suit against the defendants, the union of tipper and quarry employers as predicted on the enacted Edo state local government union and harmonized levies,rates,fees and charges law 2017.
Consequently, the suit was dismissed for lack of merit.
Reacting to the judgement during a press briefing in Benin, the chairman of Union of Tipper and Quarry employers, comrade Gabriel Osaigbovo in company of other members of the executive said the judgement has bring to an end the tussle over who is entitled to collect dues.
According to him, the court has declared that only Trade unions rather than Association has the right to collect dues.
Based on the judgement, he extend hands of fellowship to the claimant in the suit while also appealing to the state government to enforced the judgement.
“Edo Tipper Drivers Association is not a registered trade union and it cannot carry out the duties of the Union as they are presently doing. They should desist from that act that are contrary to what they are registered to do as a body. It is only the Union of Tipper and Quarry Employers of Nigeria that has such power to collect levies or dues from its members or workers”.
He similarly said that it is the duty of the internal revenue service to collect government revenue by the new harmonised Act of 2017, as old levies are built together through electronic scratch card.
But he however, said it is the union that supposed to be in charge of the collection and thereafter allocate the shares of government and that of the Union from the dues collected.
He added that over time Tipper Drivers Association has forcefully deny government from benefiting by doing the collection and thereafter remit whatever they like to the state government.
