Ngige Speaks On NLC Planned Protest

The Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige, has urged Nigerian workers to disregard the call by Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) for a planned one-day national protest on Monday.

Naija News reports that Ngige made the call in a statement issued by his Special Assistant on Media, Nwachukwu Obidewe, in Abuja on Friday.

The statement said the directive by the NLC President, Ayuba Waba, on that workers protest on Monday, May 13, was unlawful and uncalled for.

The statements read; “The calling out of workers on a flimsy and selfish excuse of non-inauguration of the board of the Nigerian Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF) with Comrade Frank Kokori as the Chairman did not constitute a trade dispute as contained in the Labour Act.

“The issue in question is political. It is about the exclusive right of the president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to make an appointment.

“This is clearly outside the purview of the Trade Union and Trade Disputes Act, hence imperative for workers to go about their normal businesses.

“It is important to state here that every worker is supposed to put in eight hours of work per day for five days in a week in line with the ILO Convention.

“Therefore, using the office hours for such protest without the approval of the employers is unlawful,” the minister said.

This is coming after Naija News had reported that the NLC was planning a nationwide protest on Monday.