Don’t Slash Salaries, Hours Of Work, FG Warns States

This was contained in a statement signed by the Deputy Director Press, Mr Samuel Olowokere on behalf of the Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr Chris Ngige.

The statement said the warning was necessary to restore industrial harmony and forestall breakdown of law and order.

According to the statement, the warning followed protracted industrial crisis involving the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC), Trade Union Congress (TUC) and Nasarawa State Government.

Ngige said “sequel to this, I hereby direct the unions to suspend the proposed picketing of government offices and demonstrations.

“I enjoin all parties to maintain the status quo ante pending the outcome of the meeting intended to resolve the issues in dispute.

“Similarly, to avoid further escalation of disputes of this type all over the states of the federation, state governments are hereby advised to always negotiate any issue that touches on the salaries and wages of workers.

“This is in order to ensure that they obtain a Collective Bargaining Agreement (BCA) before these remunerations are tampered with.

“I wish to add for the avoidance of doubt that the issue of minimum wage flows out from the Minimum Wage Act, 2011,” he said.

Ngige said the law of the land must be respected by all in both public and private institutions.

He, however, said the issue of arbitrary reduction in the hours of work was against the International Labour Organisation (ILO) regulation; Convention 1, which had been adopted and domesticated by Nigeria.

He said the law prescribes eight hours of work in a day and not more than 40 hours in a week.