BY: News Peddlers
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| Chris Ngige, Minister of Labour and Employment |
The Federal Government has proposed that all newly elected labor leaders in the country attend an eight-week course at the Michael Imoudu National Institute of Labour Studies, MINILS.
Chris Ngige, Minister of Labour and Employment, stated this on Monday in Abuja during a budget defense of the Ministry and Parastatal Agencies before the House of Representatives Committee on Labour.
"The training is required to familiarize labor leaders with the laws governing trade unionism and trade dispute resolution in the country, as well as the International Labour Organization conventions (ILO).
"The mandatory training will also enable unions to understand the limits of their powers and where their employers' powers end," he said.
He also claimed that some union leaders were disobeying his ministry and even the country's labor laws because they lacked basic training on the laws and how to apply them.
"You know, a lot of people who answer labor and union leaders, including professors, are not trained in the country's labor laws."
"They flout labor laws." They show contempt for the labor ministry, labor committees, and everyone else.
"So, we want to upgrade MINILS and make it mandatory that once you are elected as Comrade President, Secretary General, or whatever, you must go there for an eight-week course to get certified."
"Otherwise, you see educated and knowledgeable people telling you that Section 43 of the Trade Dispute Act (TDA) 2004, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria does not apply to them or anyone else."
"How do you phrase that? You are insulting the legislature that makes laws," he said.
"If you are registered as a union, and there is the Trade Union Act (2005) as amended, and yet you say it should not apply to you, and that you cannot tender an account of check off dues that you collected," he said.
He pointed out that it was the same act that allowed the union to deduct check-off dues from its members' salaries.
Mr Ngige also stated that the act required the union to be audited every year and the audited account to be submitted to the Registrar of Trade Unions.
"It's similar to the way the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) registers political parties. If you apply to be registered as a political party, INEC will register you but will require you to submit your party's audited financial statements every year.
"You must conform as a political party, but if you fail to do so, the commission will penalize you under the law. There are no other options.
"A labor leader who went to university but has little knowledge of the laws that govern trade unionism is a dangerous person to society," he said.
He added that, in addition to training labor leaders, the African ILO designated MINILS as an institute where other West African countries could come, pay fees, and receive Nigerian certification.
He requested that the National Assembly consider granting the institute special intervention funds for an upgrade.
NAN