Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige, has told workers to disregard the call by Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) for a national protest on Monday.
Ngige said this on Friday in a statement by his spokesman, Nwachukwu Obidewe.
NLC President, Ayuba Wabba, had said after an emergency meeting of NLC Central Working Committee (CWC) on Thursday that workers would engage in a national protest on Monday following an attack on them by alleged thugs of the minister when they barricaded his Abuja residence on Wednesday.
Ngige and labour leaders are at loggerheads over his refusal to inaugurate the Frank Kokori-led board of the Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF).
However, the minister said the call for protest over the matter did not constitute trade dispute.
“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,” the minister said.
“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.”
