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NATIONAL UNION OF RAILWAYMEN AND 1. NIGERIAN RAILWAY CORPORATION AND OTHERS 2. SENIOR STAFF ASSOCIATION OF STATUTORY CORPORATIONS! AND GOVERNMENT OWNED COMPANIES (NATIONAL INDUSTRIAL COURT) H ON. JUSTICE (CHIEF) P.A. ATILADE PRESIDENT DR O.I. ODUMOSU MEMBER S.O. KOKU,ESQ. MEMBER DR. E. C. IWUJI MEMBER ALHAJI Z.M. BELLO MEMBER SUIT NO: NIC/4/82 DATE OF JUDGMENT TUESDAY, 15th JUNE, 1984 LABOURLAW National Industrial Court - Power of to join a third party to proceedings before it. LABOURLAW Trade union - Trade union represent junior staff - Competence of to represent senior staff in negotiation or dispute. TRADE UNION LAW Trade union - Trade union repress junior staff employees - Competence represent senior staff employee-negotiation or dispute. ISSUES: 1. Whether the Senior Staff Association of Statutory Corporations and Cover owned Companies should be joined as a party to the dispute. 2. Whether the First Party is competent to represent senior staff of the Second negotiations and disputes. FACTS: The three parties entered into a collective agreement, which contained 6 Appendices numbered consecutively. Appendices 4 and 5 concerned the First Party alone and there was no agreement on them. The parties agreed to refer them to the Minister of Transport. Therefore, the dispute was referred to the Public Service Review Unit, which resolved the dispute. The matter later went to the Industrial Arbitration Panel, which confirmed the Collective Agreement between the three parties, which incorporated Appendices 4 and 5 which had come back from the public Service Review Unit. The third party was not before the Panel. The Panel made its Award based on the collective agreement, which was confirmed by the Minister of Employment, Labour and Productivity. The First Party later asked for the interpretation of the Panel's Award published by the Minister of Employment, Labour and Productivity and the Award was referred to the National Industrial Court for its interpretation. HELD: (Dismissing the Appellant s appeal): 1. On Whether trade union representing junior staff can represent senior staff employees in negotiations or disputes - A trade union representing junior staff is not competent to represent senior staff employees in any negotiation or dispute. 2. On Power of National Industrial Court to join a third party to proceedings before The National Industrial Court has power by virtue of Rule 14 of the National Industrial Court Rules, 1979 to join a third party to any proceedings pending before it. HON. JUSTICE (CHIEF) P.A. ATILADE PRESIDENT, DR O.I. ODUMOSU MEMBER, S.O. KOKU,ESQ. MEMBER, DR. E.C. IWUJI MEMBER, Z.M. BELLO MEMBER