•Sossion obtained the order on Wednesday after he told the court that he is likely to suffer irreparable harm if the meeting is to proceed.
Image: DOUGLAS OKIDDY
A Labour Court has issued orders stopping KNUT’s National Executive Council (NEC) from convening a meeting to allegedly ouster the union Secretary General Wilson Sossion.
Sossion obtained the order on Wednesday after he told the court that he is likely to suffer irreparable harm if the meeting is to proceed.
The order issued by Employment and Labour Relations Judge Byrum Ongaya read “pending hearing of the application, the meeting convened by Sossion scheduled to be held today in the NEC Boardroom-KNUT Head office starting 10 am stands postponed as conveyed in Sossion’s letter dated 26 August 2019” ‘restrained the respondents from convening, attending or proceeding with the KNUT NEC meeting scheduled for 29 august or any other date pending determination of the case’.
The respondents are listed as members of KNUT’s NEC.
According to the court documents, Sossion had issued a notice for the NEC meeting set for today. The said notice was issued to all the NEC members.
He says in the intervening period, certain administrative challenges cropped up forcing him to issue a notice postponing the meeting of 29 august.
“On 26 august after I issued the postponement notice of the meeting, the council members took to social media and made phone calls threatening, intimidating and harassing me with threats of proceeding with the meeting so they can unlawfully oust me from the position of secretary general,” says Sossion.
He says following the aforesaid threats, there is a likelihood of breach of peace today and the risk of him being unlawfully ousted of KNUT.
“Despite demand to the respondents to restrain from their threats and intimidation they are adamant to proceed on with their meeting. If the meeting is allowed to continue there is a likelihood of chaos and destruction of union property and exposure to risk including my possible unlawful removal from office,”
Sossion says the council members have no power under KNUT constitution to convene or proceed with a national executive council meeting that has been postponed.
The case will be heard on September 3.