Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) says that the labour law recognised lock-out and picketing as a tool that workers can use to advance their issues in the country.
Ayuba Wabba, NLC President said this at the 11 Quadrennial National Delegate Conference of the Nigeria Civil Service Union (NCSU) on Thursday in Abuja.
Wabba was reacting to the Federal Government’s warning to workers that lock-out of duly appointed officers and picketing as a resolve to industrial disputes in the country was illegal.
“I think what the Minister of Labour and Employment, Sen. Chris Ngige needs to say is that workers and trade unions must follow lay down procedures but not to say it cannot happen.
“It is a legal issue, issue of picketing, lock-out are already accommodated in our legal book of the Trade Union Act. A worker or an employee is not a slave.
“The difference between a worker and employer is that he can exercise some rights and those rights are in our law.
“So, they are there in the law, but you must follow some procedures before embarking on such action because it is there for a purpose,‘’ he said.
The NLC president also called on the Federal Government to address the issue of social justices and inequality in the system.
“If you have poor working condition, where what you paid workers cannot be able to take care of their families.
“Certainly the aim of creating job opportunities have been defeated and such employment cannot be said to be a decent work,” he said.
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