Unlawful picketing: FG  reads riot act.

AKOR SYLVESTER-Abuja

Federal Government has warned labour unions that it will not  condone further hooliganism in the disguise of trade unionism, hence,  a strong  warning  that crossing  the  line  with unlawful picketing will attract the full weight of the law.

In a statement yesterday in Abuja, the Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige said the Federal Government would no longer fold its hands while what ought to be a peaceful agitation by unions has crossed the boundary of lawfulness as stated in Section 43 of the Trade Unions Act. Cap.T14,LFN,2004.

“ The Federal Government has watched as the offices of the Hon. Minister, Hon. Minister of State and the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Trade and Investment were locked for days by  agitating workers  unions , preventing other workers and officers of government from carrying out their lawful duties.

“ Similarly, the Citizenship and  Leadership Training Centre has been under lock and key since Monday , 15 November 2021 , preventing the newly appointed Director General of the agency , Adesoji Eniade  from assuming office.

“We therefore wish to strongly warn that the  President and Commander-in-Chief is the Chief Executive of the Federation  in line with Section 5 (1) of the Constitution and is solely conferred with    the powers of appointment into public offices such as Permanent Secretaries, Directors Generals, however designated, as   clearly contained  in section 171(d) of the 1999 constitution. He  does not share such power with any other person.

“ It is clearly therefore ultra vires for public servants in the name of unionism  to attempt to dictate to the President over the exercise of its constitutional powers on appointments .

“Hence , the  gale of irrational and unlawful picketing by the unions in the Ministry of Trade and Investment and that of the  Citizenship and Leadership Training Centre  run counter to  sections 87 and 89 of the ILO principles  and the  Trade Disputes Act, 2004.

“ For avoidance of any doubt , disruptive picketing which barricades entrances to workplaces, premises , locking up of offices, and preventing workers who wish to continue working,  are direct threat to public order,  and hence illegal.

“ The fact that   the Federal Government allowed the unions time to come to terms with the illegality they embarked upon and do the right thing,  does not constitute  license for further illegality.

“ We therefore state clearly here that  the principle of non -interference in Article 3 , C87 of the ILO Convention  is that the employer interferes not in the affairs of the union. Reciprocally, employees/ workers are not to interfere in the business of their employers;  on how they run their business  which in this case is government . They therefore, have no say in whom is  appointed or deployed at any given time .

“ Workers in the Citizen and Leadership Centre have therefore been given  the next 24 hours to open the officers they locked up , especially  that of the newly Director General of the agency , who is the new bonafide Head of the Centre , having been appointed by the President on October 3, 2021.

“ We seize the opportunity to call on the leadership of the both the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) to educate their members on their rights and privileges and to call them to other, as  government will bring the full weight of the law on those who continue to cross the line in the disguise of  unionism.

“ We further warn that unruly behaviors emanating in the course of a strike in the guise of picketing by employers may be subjected to the relevant sections of the Criminal Code and punishment dispensed accordingly.  Ignorance of the law is not an excuse.