In addition, the court also directed the institution to arrange for the immediate payment of all their outstanding salaries and allowances that it has withheld since the 2nd of January last year when they were relieved of their jobs.
The National Industrial Court sitting in Akure, the Ondo State capital, has ordered the immediate reinstatement of 15 of the 32 workers of the state-owned Rufus Giwa Polytechnic Owo (RUGIPO), who were illegally sacked in January 2013.
In addition, the court also directed the institution to arrange for the immediate payment of all their outstanding salaries and allowances that it has withheld since the 2nd of January last year when they were relieved of their jobs.
On the 31st of December 2012, the institution, through a circular pasted at its administrative building, ordered the security guards on the main entrance of the school not to allow the 32 workers into the premises of the institution.
They comprised 10 academic and 22 non-academic staff.
The circular claimed that their services were no longer needed because the management had met with the key principal heads of the institution and carried out reorganization.
A SaharaReporters correspondent who obtained the letter on the 14th of January 2013 authoritatively reports that no offence was stated in the circular.
Some of the workers during the struggle to reclaimtheir jobs had alleged that the institution had victimized them based on their rejection of the appointment of the rector of the institution, Prof. Igbekele Ajibebun.
On three consecutive cases, the presiding judge had postponed the case, declaring that some sections of the suit lacked merit, but the affected employees did not relent, and justice came their way on Tuesday.
In his ruling, Justice Ndidi Ubaka admitted that the institution had wrongly sacked the polytechnic workers, and that it failed to tender substantive reasons for their sack.
Justice Ubaka said that the court could only return 15of the workers to their positions because they proved to the court with documents that they were real senior staff members of the institution.
Of the remaining 17, the judge said they were not reinstated because they could not prove to the court with their employment letters if they were junior or senior staff of the school.
The workers' reinstated by the court today are: Mr. Oluwabamiji Kumuyi, the institution's former chairman of the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnic (ASUP), Ogunbode Benson, Abodunrin Moses, AdeoniOlusegun, Agbi Nelson, Arijeniwa Adedotun, Ayodeji Akinsanmi and Mrs. V.O Ayodele.
Others are: S.B Bolaji, Ekundayo Gbenga, A.M Elegbede, T.L Olemija, Olugbamila Omotayo, OmotolaAlaba Olumayowa and S.O Oniyelu.
The non-reinstated workers are as follows: AkinyemiOluwafemi, Taiwo Alonge Titus, Arealepo Michael Oluwasola, A.E Adebayo, Aderigbe Olamide Olajope, Ajanaku James Akinyemi, Akinrolabu Dare Raphael.
Others are: T.M Ogunleye, A.O Olayode, J.A Oluyede, Omoge Edward Taiwo, Omole Olayinka, Idowu, J.K Omole and Shoyege Ayodeji Olayinka, Arolowo Clement Jimoh, A. Bello, O.M Fagbayimu.