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NATIONAL UNION OF FOOD, BEVERAGE AND TOBACCO EMPLOYEES AND NIGERIAN BOTTLING COMPANY LTD. ( NATIONAL INDUSTRIAL COURT) H ON. JUSTICE (CHIEF) P.A. ATILADE - PRESIDENT E.O. OLOWU, ESQ - MEMBER B. N. OBUA, ESQ - MEMBER SUIT NO: NIC/3/90 DATE OF JUDGMENT - 18TH NOVEMBER, 1991 LABOUR LAW Trade dispute - Adjudication of -Government policies and enactment relevant thereto - Duty on National Industrial Court to take judicial notice of. LABOUR LAW Fringe benefits - Medical facilities -Extension of to families of staff- Nature of- Negotiability of NATIONAL INDUSTRIAL COURT Trade dispute - Adjudication of -Government policies and enactments relevant thereto - Duty on National Industrial Court to take judicial notice of. ISSUES 1. Whether there was a unilateral transfer to another insurance company of the Junior Staff Retirement Benefits Scheme (JSRBS) by the management of the Nigerian Bottling Company Limited (Respondent) as alleged by the Appellant. 2. Whether the issue of the extension of medical facilities by the Nigerian Bottling Company Limited to the immediate family of its junior staff who are members of the Appellant should still be a subject of negotiation by the two parties or should be finally settled by the court. FACTS: There was a trade dispute between the parties. The issues in dispute were: (i) unilateral Benefits/Life Assurance Pension Scheme by management, and; (ii) extension of medical facilities to the immediate family of the junior staff. The dispute was referred to the Industrial Arbitration Panel (IAP), which in its award upheld the Respondent’s transfer of the Junior Staff Retirement Benefits/Life Assurance Pension Scheme, and directed the parties to re-negotiate the issue of extension of medical facilities to families of junior staff of the Respondent. The Appellant was aggrieved by the award and appealed to the National Industrial Court. HELD: (Allowing the appeal in part) 1. On Nature of medical facilities to families of staff and negotiability of- The extension of medical facilities to the families of staff of a company is a fringe benefit. In the instant case, the court therefore directed the parties to re-open. negotiation so as to arrive at an appropriate figure. 2. On Duty on National Industrial Court to take judicial notice of government policies and enactments relevant to matters brought before it- The National Industrial Court in the adjudication of trade disputes has to take judicial notice of relevant government policies and enactments on matters brought before it.