The Federal Government has frowned at the establishment of ministries and departments of Labour in states.
The Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment, Kachallom Daju, criticised the trend by states at the opening of the 2023 Session of the National Labour Advisory Council, NLAC, in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State.
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Daju described the practice as counter-productive and pointed out that it went against Section 34 of the Second Schedule of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999, as amended, which placed labour matters on the Exclusive List, thereby reserving the power to legislate on labour-related matters exclusively to the Federal Government.
She said another crucial item of concern is the persistent refusal of states to embrace a uniform implementation of the Minimum Wage Act, 2019.
She noted the need to align the minimum wage with the current economic realities, as well as the International Labour Standards that serve as the bedrock of legal framework for labour administration in Nigeria.
Editor: Hadiza.A.A