WAGES BOARDS AND INDUSTRIAL COUNCILS ACT

Published by Law Nigeria Admin at 18th April 2018

LAWS OF THE FEDERATION OF NIGERIA

WAGES BOARDS AND INDUSTRIAL COUNCILS ACT

ARRANGEMENT OF SECTIONS

Industrial wages boards

Establishment of industrial wages boards.
Exercise of powers in the States.
References to commission of inquiry.
Procedure of commission of inquiry.
Making of industrial wages board order.
Abolition of industrial wages board.
General provisions as to commissions of inquiry.
Wages.
Conditions of employment other than wages.
Provisions as to orders fixing wages and other conditions.
Saving as to rights under other laws.
Employers’ obligations in respect of orders fixing statutory minimum wages or other conditions.
Permit of exemption for workers affected by infirmity or physical injury.
Duties of industrial wages board in relation to references by the Minister.
Employer to keep records.

National Wages Board and Area Minimum Wages Committees

National Wages Board and Area Minimum Wages Committees.
Minimum wage recommendations.

Joint Industrial Councils

Establishment of joint Industrial Councils.
Extension of agreements.
Exemption of marginal employers.

Miscellaneous and supplemental

Officers and their powers.
Offences by agent, etc.
Offences and penalties.
General provisions for certain bodies established in pursuance of this Act.
Regulations.
Repeal, and transitional and saving provisions.
Interpretation.
Short title.

SCHEDULES

First Schedule Composition, etc., or certain bodies established pursuant to Section 24

Second Schedule Transitional and Saving Provisions

WAGES BOARDS AND INDUSTRIAL COUNCIL ACT

An Act to provide for the establishment of a National Wages Board and Area Minimum Wages Committee for States and for Joint Industrial Councils for particular industries.

[1973 No. 1. L.N. 55 of 1974.]

[1st October, 1974] [Commencement.]

Industrial Wages Boards

Establishment of industrial wages boards

(1) The Minister may by order direct that an industrial wages board be established to perform, in relation to the workers described in the order and their employers, the functions specified in the subsequent provisions of this Act, if he is of the opinion that wages are unreasonably low or that no adequate machinery exists for the effective regulation of wages or other conditions of employment of those workers:

Provided that no such order shall be made in respect of local government workers.

(2) The Minister shall, in any order establishing an industrial wages board under this section, determine the area with respect to which the board may exercise any of its powers and perform any of its duties.

Exercise of powers in the States

(1) If and so long as no order by the Minister subsists under section 1 the appropriate authority in a State may, after consultation with the Minister, make an order within the State to the like extent and subject to the same conditions as an order of the Minister under that section, and the appropriate authority may make such an order in respect of local government workers in the State.

(2) If and so long as an order of the appropriate authority under subsection (1) of this section subsists, the Minister shall not make an order for the establishment of an industrial wages board in the State as prescribed by section (1) of this Act.

(3) The appropriate authority for a State shall be the Governor or such member of the Executive Council of the State as may be appointed by order of the Governor to be the appropriate authority for the purposes of this section.

(4) Where the appropriate authority in a State is enabled to exercise powers under this section, the expressions “Minister” and “Federal Gazette” in sections 3 to 15 of this Act shall be construed as references to the appropriate authority and the State Gazette, respectively.

References to commission of inquiry

Without prejudice to section 1 of this Act, the Minister, if he is of the opinion that wages are unreasonably low or that no adequate machinery exists for the effective regulation of wages or other conditions of employment of any workers, may refer to a commission of inquiry the question whether an industrial wages board should be established with respect to any of those workers and their employers.

Procedure of commission of inquiry

(1) Where the Minister refers to a commission of inquiry under section 3 of this Act the question whether an industrial wages board should be established, and the commission is of opinion with respect to the workers with whom it is concerned—

(a) that wages are not unreasonably low; or

(b) that there exists adequate machinery for regulating the wages or other conditions of employment of those workers, and that there is no reason to believe that the machinery is likely to cease to exist or cease to be adequate for that purpose, the commission shall report to the Minister accordingly and may include in its report any suggestions which it may think fit to make as to the improvement of that machinery.

(2) Where any such suggestions are so included, the Minister may take such steps as appear to him to be expedient and practicable to secure the improvements in question.

(3) If the commission is of opinion with respect to the workers with whom it is concerned that—

(a) wages are unreasonably low; or

(b) adequate machinery for regulating the wages or other conditions of employment does not exist; or

(c) existing machinery is likely to cease to exist or cease to be adequate for that purpose, and that as a result reasonable standards of wages or other conditions of employment are not being or will not be maintained, the commission may make a report to the Minister accordingly and may include in its report a recommendation (in this Act referred to as “an industrial wages board recommendation”) for the establishment of an industrial wages board in respect of those workers and their employers.

(4) Where the Minister receives an industrial wages board recommendation, he may, subject to this Act, if he thinks fit, make an industrial wages board order giving effect to the recommendation.

Making of industrial wages board order

(1) The Minister shall, before making any industrial wages board order, whether under section 4 of this Act or not, publish a notice in the Federal Gazette of his intention to make the order.

(2) The notice published under subsection (1) of this section shall contain the text of the proposed order, and shall specify the time, being not more than forty days from the date of publication, within which an objection with respect to the order shall be made to the Minister.

(3) The Minister may make rules with respect to the notice to be given of any matter under this Act with a view to bringing the matter of which the notice is to be given so far as practicable to the knowledge of the persons concerned.

(4) Every objection made pursuant to subsection (2) of this section shall be in writing and shall state—

(a) the specific grounds of the objection; and

(b) the omissions, additions or modifications asked for, and the Minister shall consider any such objection made by or on behalf of any person appearing to him to be affected, being an objection sent to him within the time specified in the notice, but shall not be bound to consider any other objections.

(5) After considering all the objections which, under this section, he is required to consider, the Minister may—

(a) make the order without amendments; or

(b) make the order with such amendments as he considers necessary or expedient; or

(6) Where the Minister makes an industrial wages board order, he shall publish it (and the report of any commission of inquiry relating to the order) in the Federal Gazette, and the order shall come into operation on the date on which it is so published or on such later date as may be specified therein.

Abolition of industrial wages board

If at any time the Minister considers that the wages or other conditions of employment of workers to whom an industrial wages board order relates or the machinery for the regulation of those wages or conditions have been so altered as to render the industrial wages board unnecessary, he may by order abolish the industrial wages board in question; and section 5 of this Act shall apply in relation to any such order as it applies in relation to industrial wages board orders.

General provisions as to commissions of inquiry

(1) Where any question or other matter is referred under section 3 of this Act to a commission of inquiry, the commission shall—

(a) make all such investigations as appear to it to be necessary;

(b) publish a notice stating the terms of the reference and specifying a period (not being less than forty days from the date of publication) within which it will consider representations with respect to the reference made to it in writing; and

(2) Where the Minister receives any report from a commission of inquiry he may, if he thinks fit, refer the report back to the commission, and the commission shall thereupon reconsider it having regard to any observations made by the Minister and shall make a further report; and the like proceeding may take place on receipt of any further report from the commission in the same manner.

Wages

(1) Subject to this section, any industrial wages board may recommend the wages to be paid by the employers to their workers described in the order establishing the said industrial wages board.

(2) Before recommending any wages under subsection (1) of this section, the industrial wages board shall—

(a) publish a notice of the wages it proposes to recommend and the manner in which and the time (not being less than forty days from the date of the notice) in which objections to the recommendation may be lodged; and

(b) consider any objections which may be lodged in accordance with the notice.

(3) An industrial wages board may, if the board thinks it expedient to do so, recommend the cancellation or variation of any wages fixed under section 10 of this Act, whether an application is made for the purpose or not.

(4) Where it is proposed to recommend the cancellation or variation of wages fixed under section 10 of this Act, the provisions of this section as to notice shall apply in the same manner as they apply where it is proposed to recommend the said wages.

Conditions of employment other than wages

(1) An industrial wages board may, if the Minister has given his permission for the board to consider the making of a recommendation for a condition or conditions of employment other than wages, either generally or for any particular work, make such a recommendation for the workers to whom the said industrial wages board refers.

(2) Before recommending any condition of employment under subsection (1) of this section, the industrial wages board shall—

(a) publish a notice of the condition which it proposes to recommend and the manner in which and the time (not being less than forty days from the date of the notice) in which objections to the recommendation may be lodged; and

(b) consider any objections which may be lodged in accordance with the notice.

(3) An industrial wages board may, if the board thinks it expedient to do so, recommend the cancellation or variation of any condition of employment fixed under section 10 of this Act, whether an application is made for the purpose or not.

(4) Where it is proposed to recommend the cancellation or variation of a condition fixed under section 10 of this Act, the provisions of this section as to notice shall apply in the same manner as they apply where it is proposed to recommend the said condition.

Provisions as to orders fixing wages and other conditions

(1) Where an industrial wages board has recommended any wages or any other condition of employment, or the cancellation or variation of any such wages or condition fixed under subsection (2) of this section, the board shall forthwith send notification thereof to the Minister; and the notification may include a statement of the date from which the board recommends that the wages or condition, or the cancellation or variation, as the case may be, shall become effective.

(2) The Minister, on receipt of a notification under this section with respect to any matter, shall by order fix the wages or condition or conditions, or approve the cancellation or variation, as the case may be:

Provided that—

(a) the Minister may, if he thinks fit, refer the recommendation back to the industrial wages board;

(b) the board shall thereupon reconsider it having regard to any observations made by the Minister and may, if it thinks fit, re-submit the recommendations to the Minister either without amendment or with such amendments as it thinks fit, having regard to those observations; and

(c) where recommendations are so re-submitted, the like proceedings shall be had thereon as in the case of original recommendations.

(3) Any such wages or conditions as aforesaid, or the cancellation or variation of any such wages or conditions, shall become effective from such date (being the date of the order by which they are fixed or approved or a subsequent date) as is specified in that behalf in the order.

(4) Wages and conditions fixed under this section are hereafter in this Act referred to as “statutory minimum wages” or “statutory minimum conditions”.

Saving as to rights under other laws

No order made under section 10 of this Act shall have effect so as to prejudice any rights touching conditions of employment, holidays or wages conferred upon any worker by or under any other enactment or other written law.

Employers’ obligations in respect of orders fixing statutory minimum wages or other conditions

(1) Where any statutory minimum wages have become effective under section 10 of this Act, an employer shall, in cases to which the statutory minimum wages are applicable, pay to the worker wages not less than the statutory minimum wages, clear of all deductions (except any deductions required by law or deductions in respect of contributions to provident or pension funds or schemes agreed to by the workers and approved by the Governor of the appropriate State);and, if the employer fails to do so, he shall be guilty of an offence and on conviction shall be liable to a fine not exceeding N200 and in the case of a continuing offence to a fine not exceeding N50 for each day or period during which the offence continues.

(2) On the conviction of an employer under this section for failing to pay to a worker wages less than the statutory minimum wages, the court may by the conviction adjudge the employer convicted to pay, in addition to any fine, such sum as appears to the court to be due to the worker on account of wages, the wages being calculated on the basis of the statutory minimum wages, but the power to order payment on account of wages under this provision shall not be in derogation of the right of the worker to recover wages due to him by any other proceedings in a court of competent jurisdiction.

(3) Where any statutory minimum condition of employment, not being statutory minimum wages, has become effective under section 10 of this Act, an employer shall, in cases to which the statutory minimum condition is applicable, apply to the worker a condition not less favourable to the worker than the statutory minimum condition; and, if the employer fails to do so, he shall be guilty of an offence and on conviction shall be liable to a fine not exceeding N200 and in the case of a continuing offence to a fine not exceeding N50 for each day or period during which the offence continues.

(4) On the conviction of an employer under this section for failing to apply to a worker any condition of employment not less favourable to the worker than the statutory minimum condition, the court may by the conviction adjudge the employer convicted to pay, in addition to any fine, such sum by way of compensation as may appear to the court to be due to the worker by reason of the failure, but the power to order the payment of that sum under this provision shall not be in derogation of any right of the worker to recover any such sum as may be due to him by any other proceedings in a court of competent jurisdiction.

(5) Where the immediate employer of any worker to whom any statutory minimum wages or any other statutory condition of employment applies is himself in the employment of some other person and the worker is employed on the premises of that other person, that other person shall, for the purposes of this section, be deemed to be the employer of the worker jointly with the immediate employer.

(6) Any agreement for the payment of wages or the application of any other condition of employment in contravention of the provisions of this section shall be void.

Permit of exemption for workers affected by infirmity or physical injury

(1) If the Minister is satisfied that any worker employed, or desiring to be employed, in an occupation to which statutory minimum wages are applicable is affected by any infirmity or physical injury which renders him incapable of earning the statutory minimum wages, the Minister may, if he thinks fit, grant to the worker (subject to such conditions, if any, as he may impose) a permit exempting the worker from the provisions of this Act relating to the payment of wages less than the statutory minimum wages; and, while the permit is in force and any conditions imposed thereon are complied with, the employer shall not be guilty of an offence if he pays to the worker less wages than the statutory minimum wages.

(2) A permit granted under this section may be so granted as to have effect from the date on which the application therefore was made to the Minister, and may be suspended or revoked at any time by the Minister.

Duties of industrial wages board in relation to references by the Minister

Any industrial wages board shall consider, as occasion requires, any matter referred to it by the Minister with reference to the conditions of employment of the workers in respect of whom and in respect of whose employers the board has been appointed, and shall make a report thereon to the Minister.

Employer to keep records

It shall be the duty of every employer of workers in respect of whom an industrial wages board has been made or a notice has been published under section 5 (1) of this Act—

(a) to keep such records of wages or conditions of employment as are necessary to show that the provisions of this Act are being complied with as respects persons in his employment, and to retain the records for a period of three years after the period to which they refer; and

(b) to cause to be kept posted in some conspicuous place at or near the place of employment of persons in his employment in such manner and in such form as may be approved by the Minister—

(i) a copy of every notice relating to wages or conditions of employment of the aforesaid workers which is published by an industrial wages board as required by this Act and a copy of every order made by the Minister relating to the wages or conditions of employment of the said workers; or

(ii) such abstract from every such notice or order as the Minister may approve, and, if he fails to do so, he shall be guilty of an offence and on conviction shall be liable to a fine not exceeding N100 and to a daily penalty not exceeding N10.

National Wages Board and Area Minimum Wages Committees

National Wages Board and Area Minimum Wages Committees

(1) The Minister may by order establish for the Federation, a Board to be known as the National Wages Board (referred to in this section and in section 17 of this Act, as “the Board”), and the Minister may, after prior consultation with the appropriate authority, set up an area minimum wages committee for the State.

(2) It shall be the function of the Board—

(a) to examine the application to all unskilled workers of any agreed minimum wage rate in any specified area;

(b) to examine from time to time the adequacy of minimum wage rates for unskilled workers in the light of any recommendations received from area minimum wages committees;

(c) to consider any matter referred to it by the Minister with reference to the minimum wage rates of unskilled workers in any area for which an area minimum wages committee has been set up; and

(d) to report and make recommendations accordingly to the Minister.

(3) The Board shall have all such powers as are reasonably necessary for the proper exercise of its functions; and in particular, without prejudice to the generality of the foregoing, it may—

(a) carry out specific investigations on matters referred to it, and submit to the Minister reports on the investigations and any other information it may consider desirable for the effective exercise of its functions; and

(b) call for oral or written information which it considers necessary for the effective exercise of its functions from any source whatsoever, so however that if any person objects to answering any question or producing any document on the ground that it will tend to incriminate him or on any other lawful ground, that person shall not be required to answer the question or produce the document or be liable to any penalty for refusing to do so.

(4) It shall be the function of an area minimum wages committee—

(a) to make recommendations to the Board on the minimum wages of unskilled workers in the committee’s area;

(b) to carry out specific investigations on matters referred to it by the Board;

(c) to submit to the Board reports, minutes and any other information it considers desirable for the effective exercise of the Board’s functions; and

(d) to determine urban and rural sub-areas in its area.

Minimum wage recommendations

(1) In the execution of its functions under section 16 (2) (d) of this Act, the Board may recommend minimum wages to be paid by employers to workers in any specified area; and any such recommendation may include a further recommendation to cancel or vary any wages fixed under section 10 of this Act.

(2) Section 8 (2) and (4) of this Act, shall apply with the necessary modifications to proposed recommendations under subsection (1) above and, where the Board makes a recommendation under the said subsection (1) of this section—

(a) section 10 of this Act shall apply as it applies to a recommendation relating to wages made by an industrial wages board under section 8 (1) or (3) of this Act; and

(b) the references to section 10 in sections 11 and 12 (1) of this Act shall be deemed to include references to section 10 as applied by paragraph (a) of this subsection.

Joint Industrial Councils

Establishment of joint Industrial Councils

(1) Employers and workers in an industry may establish a joint industrial council (referred to in this section and section 19 of this Act as “a Council”) for the purpose of negotiating and reaching agreements relating to such matters as are considered by those employers and workers to be matters for negotiating.

(2) When a Council has been established, it shall register with the Minister its agreed constitution and functions and any changes therein which may be agreed upon from time to time.

(3) Where a Council has agreed on any matter concerning wages or conditions of employment for any specified workers or groups of workers in an industry, it shall register the agreement with the Minister for his information; and the Minister may by an order declare that the provisions of any agreement or part thereof in pursuance of this subsection shall be binding on the workers to whom they relate, and that effect shall be given to them, accordingly.

Extension of agreements

(1) A Council may apply to the Minister to have the terms of any such agreement as is mentioned in section 18 (3) of this Act extended to cover other employers and workers within the industry to which the agreement relates.

(2) The Minister, upon receipt of an application under subsection (1) of this section, shall satisfy himself that the organisations of employers and workers concerned represent a sufficient proportion of the employers and workers in the industry in question, having regard to its individual circumstances, and on being so satisfied shall publish a notice in the Federal Gazette—

(a) specifying the terms of the agreement and indicating his intention to make an order extending all or any of the terms of the agreement to such employers and workers engaged in the industry (which shall be specified in the order) as are not parties to the agreement; and

(b) specifying the time, being not more than forty days from the date of publication, within which any objection to his intention shall be made to him.

(3) Every objection made pursuant to subsection (2) of this section, shall be in writing and shall state—

(a) the specific grounds of the objection; and

(b) the omissions, additions and modifications asked for, and the Minister shall consider any objection made by or on behalf of any person appearing to him to be affected, being an objection sent to him within the time specified in the notice specifying the terms of the agreement, but shall not be bound to consider any other objection.

(4) After considering all the objections which under subsection (3) of this section he is required to consider, the Minister may—

(a) make the order without amendments; or

(b) make the order with such amendments as he considers necessary or expedient; or

(5) Where the Minister makes an order under subsection (4) of this section, he shall publish it in the Federal Gazette, and the order shall come into operation on the date on which it is so published or on such later date as may be specified therein.

(6) Wages or conditions of employment fixed by an order made under this section shall have effect as if they were statutory minimum wages or, as the case may be, statutory minimum conditions fixed under section 10of this Act.

Exemption of marginal employers

(1) An employer affected by an order made under section 19 of this Act, may appeal in writing to the Minister for a permit of exemption from the order; and on receipt of such an appeal the Minister may reject it or refer it to any person or persons appointed by himself for investigation.

(2) Where the appeal is referred pursuant to subsection (1) of this section, having regard to the grounds of the appeal and the circumstances of the employer, such person or persons shall submit their report to the Commissioner within sixty days from the date of their appointment.

(3) On receipt of such report the Minister may either reject the appeal or issue an exemption permit accordingly, specifying in the permit the minimum wage and conditions or the minimum wage or conditions of employment which shall apply to the workers engaged by the employer concerned.

(4) Wages or conditions of employment specified pursuant to subsection (3) of this section shall have effect as if they were statutory minimum wages or, as the case may be, statutory minimum conditions fixed under section 10 of this Act.

(5) Any person or persons appointed under subsection (1) of this section shall be paid such remuneration and allowances, if any, as may be approved by the Minister with the concurrence of the Federal Ministry of Finance.

Miscellaneous and supplemental

Officers and their powers

(1) The Minister may appoint any public officer to act for the purposes of this Act; and every authorised labour officer within the meaning of the Labour Act shall be deemed to have been so appointed.

[Cap. L1.]

(2) Every appointed officer shall be furnished with a certificate of his appointment and when visiting an employer’s premises for the purposes of this Act shall, if so required, produce the certificate to the employer or other person holding a responsible position of management at the said premises.

(3) An appointed officer may—

(a) require the production by an employer of wages sheets or other records of wages and records of conditions of employment, and inspect and examine them and copy any part thereof;

(b) at all reasonable times enter any premises at which any employer to whom an order made under section 10 of this Act applies carries on his business (including any premises which the officer has reasonable cause to believe to be used by or by arrangement with the employer to provide living accommodation for workers);

(c) examine, either alone or in the presence of any other person, as he thinks fit, with respect to any matters under this Act, any person whom he has reasonable cause to believe to be or to have been a worker to whom an order made under section 10 of this Act applies or applied, or the employer of any person or a servant or agent of the employer, employed in the employer’s business, and require every such person to be so examined and to sign a declaration of the truth of the matters in respect of which he is so examined, so however that no person shall be required to give any information tending to incriminate himself;

(d) order any person or body of persons found to have contravened any of the provisions of this Act to take remedial action within a specified reasonable period of time; and

(e) subject generally to the powers of any Attorney-General, institute proceedings for any offence under this Act and, with the consent of the Minister, appear and have all necessary power for the conduct of the proceedings; and

Attorney-General means Attorney-General of the Federation or, as appropriate, Attorney-General or Solicitor-General of a State, as the case may be.

(4) An appointed officer who is authorised in that behalf by general or special directions of the Minister may, if it appears to him that a sum is due from an employer to a worker to whom an order made under section 10 of this Act applies, or to a person who has been such a worker, on account of the payment to him of wages less than the statutory minimum wages, institute on behalf and in the name of that worker or person civil proceedings for the recovery of that sum, and in any such proceedings the court may make an order for the payment of costs by the appointed officer as if he were a party to the proceedings.

(5) The power given by subsection (4) of this section for the recovery of a sum due from an employer to a worker or other person shall not be in derogation of any right of that worker or other person himself to recover that sum by civil proceedings.

(6) The Minister may by writing under his hand without prejudice to the foregoing subsection 1 of this section, delegate to any public officer the exercise of the power conferred on the Minister by subsection (3) (e) or (4) of this section:

Provided that the existence of such a delegation shall not prevent the continued exercise of the power by the Minister.

Offences by agent, etc.

(1) Where an offence for which an employer is by virtue of this Act liable to penalty has in fact been committed by some agent of the employer or by some other person, that agent or other person shall be liable to be proceeded against for the offence in the same manner as if he were the employer, and either together with or before or after the conviction of the employer, and shall be liable on conviction to the same penalty as that to which the employer is liable.

(2) Where an employer is charged with an offence under this Act he shall be entitled, upon complaint duly made by him and on giving to the prosecution not less than three days’ notice in writing of his intention, to have any other person to whose act or default he alleges that the offence in question was duly brought before the court at the time appointed for the hearing of the charge, and, if after the commission of the offence has been proved the employer proves that the offence was due to the act or the default of that other person, that other person maybe convicted of the offence, and, if the employer further proves that he has used all due diligence to secure that this Act and any relevant order made thereunder are complied with, he shall be acquitted of the offence.

(3) Where a defendant seeks to avail himself of the provisions of subsection (2) of this section—

(a) the prosecution, as well as the person whom the defendant charges with the offence, shall have the right to cross-examine him, if he gives evidence, and any witnesses called by him in support of his pleas, and to call rebutting evidence; and

(b) the court may make such order as it thinks fit for the payment of costs by any party to the proceedings, other than the prosecution, to any other party thereto.

(4) Where it appears to an appointed officer that an offence has been committed in respect of which proceedings might be taken under this Act against an employer, and the officer is reasonably satisfied that the offence of which complaint is made was due to an act or default of some other person and that the employer could establish a defence under subsection (2) of this section, the officer may cause proceedings to be taken against that other person without first causing proceedings to be taken against the employer, and in any such proceedings the defendant may be charged with, and on proof that the offence was due to his act or default, be convicted for the offence for which the employer might have been charged.

Offences and penalties

Any person who—

(a) refuses or neglects to furnish the means required by an appointed officer as being necessary for an entry in the exercise of his powers under section 21 of this Act; or

(b) hinders or molests any appointed officer in the exercise of his powers under section 21 of this Act; or

(c) refuses or neglects to produce any document, or to give any information which any appointed officer in the exercise of his powers under section 21 of this Act requires him to produce or give; or

(d) makes, or causes to be made, or knowingly allows to be made, any wages sheet, record of wages or record of conditions of employment which is false in any material particular; or

(e) produces, or causes to be produced, or knowingly allows to be produced, any such wages sheet or record to an appointed officer acting in the exercise of his powers under section 21 of this Act, knowing the wage sheet or record to be false; or

(f) furnishes any information to any appointed officer acting in the exercise of his powers under section 21, knowing the information to be false; or

(g) fails to comply with an order given under section 21 (3) (d) of this Act, shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding N200 or to imprisonment for a period not exceeding three months, or to both.

General provisions for certain bodies established in pursuance of this Act

(1) Any person or persons appointed under section 20 (1) of this Act, as an industrial wages board, a commission of inquiry, the National Wages Board or an area minimum wages committee, is a relevant body for the purposes of this section.

(2) No member of a relevant body, and no other person present at or concerned in any proceedings of a relevant body, shall disclose any information or the contents of any document which has been furnished to the body in question, except with the written consent of the body and of the person who furnished the information or document.

(3) Any person who contravenes subsection (2) of this section shall be guilty of an offence and on conviction shall be liable to a fine not exceeding N200 or to imprisonment for a period not exceeding three months, or to both.

(4) Adequate staff and accommodation for the exercise of a relevant body’s functions shall be provided by—

(a) the Federal Ministry of Employment Labour and Productivity; or

(b) in the case of an area minimum wages board setup for a State, by the department of government of the State responsible for labour matters.

(5) The validity of any proceedings of a relevant body shall not be affected—

(a) by any vacancy in the membership of the body; or

(b) by any defect in the appointment of any member; or

(6) Subject to this Act and any regulations made thereunder, a relevant body may regulate its own proceedings.

(7) The First Schedule to this Act shall have effect in relation to the relevant bodies therein mentioned.

[First Schedule.]

(8) It shall be the responsibility of the Federal Government to provide the funds needed for payment under section 20 (5) or the First Schedule to this Act.

Regulations

The Minister may make regulations—

(a) providing for the meetings and procedure of a relevant body within the meaning of section 24 of this Act, including quorum and method of voting;

(b) prescribing the conditions (not being conditions relating to remuneration or allowances) on which members of such relevant body shall hold office; and

(c) prescribing any matter of a procedural or administrative nature which in his opinion is necessary or expedient to facilitate the proper operation of this Act.

Repeal, and transitional and saving provisions

(1) The Wages Boards Act is hereby repealed.

[Cap. 211, 1958 Edition.]

(2) The transitional and saving provisions in the Second Schedule shall have effect notwithstanding subsection (1) of this section or any other provision of this Act.

[Second Schedule.]

Interpretation

(1) In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires—

“Appointed officer” means an officer appointed or deemed to have been appointed under section 21 (1) of this Act;

“Appropriate authority” has the meaning assigned to it in section 2 of this Act;

“Industry” includes trade, commerce and groups of occupations or services;

“Local government workers”, in relation to a State, means persons employed in the State by a local government as defined in the Labour Act or by a joint committee for local government or a local education authority established for the State by law;

[Cap. L1.]

“Minister” means the Minister of Employment, Labour and Productivity.

(2) Section 90 of the Labour Act shall apply for the interpretation of this Act as it applies for the interpretation of the said Labour Act.

Short title

This Act may be cited as the Wages Boards and Industrial Councils Act.

Schedules

First Schedule

COMPOSITION, ETC., OF BODIES ESTABLISHED PURSUANT TO SECTION 24

Industrial Wages Boards

An industrial wages board shall consist of—

(a) not more than three independent persons;

(b) such number as the Minister thinks fit of persons who in his opinion represent employers in relation to whom the board is to operate; and

(c) a number of persons who in the opinion of the Minister represent workers in relation to whom the board is to operate, being a number equal to the number of persons appointed under sub-paragraph (b)above.

Subject to paragraph 3 of this Schedule, the members of an industrial wages board shall be appointed by the Minister.
Before appointing a person under paragraph 1 (b) or (c) above, the Minister shall consult the organisations, if any, appearing to him to represent the employers or workers directly concerned.
The Minister shall appoint the chairman of an industrial wages board from among the members appointed under paragraph 1 (a) above, and may appoint from among those persons a deputy Chairman to act in the absence of the Chairman, and shall appoint a secretary who shall be a labour officer.
The members of an industrial wages board shall be paid such remuneration and allowances, if any, as may be approved by the Minister with the concurrence of the Federal Ministry of Finance and, subject to any regulations made under this Act shall otherwise hold office on such conditions as may be determined by the Minister.

Commissions of Inquiry

A commission of inquiry shall consist of—

(a) not more than three independent persons;

(b) not more than two persons chosen by the Minister to represent the employers in relation to whom the commission is to operate; and

(c) a number of persons equal to the number of those appointed under sub-paragraph (b) above chosen by the Minister to represent the workers in relation to whom the commission is to operate.

The Minister shall appoint the chairman of a commission of inquiry, and may appoint a deputy Chairman to act in the absence of the chairman, from among persons appointed under paragraph 6 (a) above and shall appoint a secretary who shall be a labour officer.
Subject to paragraph 9 below, the members of a commission of inquiry shall be appointed by the Minister.
The members appointed under paragraph 6 (b) and (c) above shall be appointed after consultation with such organisations representing employers and workers respectively as the Minister thinks fit, and shall be persons who in the opinion of the Minister are not connected with or likely to be affected by the matters to be inquired into by the commission.
The Minister may appoint such number of persons as he thinks fit as assessors to be available to any commission of inquiry, being persons who in the opinion of the Minister have an expert knowledge of any of the matters with which the commission is concerned.
An assessor shall not vote or otherwise be a party to any report or recommendation of a commission of inquiry.
The members of and assessors to a commission of inquiry shall be paid such remuneration and allowances, if any, as may be approved by the Minister with the concurrence of the Federal Ministry of Finance and subject to any regulations made under this Act, shall otherwise hold office upon such conditions as may be determined by the Minister at the time of appointment.

National Wages Board

The National Wages Board shall consist of—

(a) three persons appointed as being independent persons;

(b) three persons representing the Federal Government as an employer of labour;

(d) five persons representing central organisations of workers; and

(e) three representatives from each area minimum wages committee, appointed on a tripartite basis as representing governmental employers, private employers and workers respectively.

Subject to paragraphs 15 and 16 below, the members of the National Wages Board shall be appointed by the Minister.
Before appointing members under paragraph 13 (c) and (d) above, the Minister shall consult such central organisations as appear to him to represent the interests of those concerned.
The members appointed under paragraph 13 (e) above shall be appointed from among persons recommended by the area minimum wages committee which they are to represent.
The Minister shall appoint the chairman of the National Wages Board from among the members appointed under paragraph 13 (a) above, and may appoint from among those members a deputy chairman to act in the absence of the chairman, and shall appoint a secretary who shall be a labour officer.
Members of the National Wages Board shall be paid such remuneration and allowances, if any, as may be approved by the Federal Ministry of Finance and, subject to any regulations made under this Act, shall otherwise hold office on such conditions as may be determined by the Minister at the time of appointment:

Provided that a member of the National Wages Board appointed to represent an area minimum wages committee shall cease to be a member of the National Wages Board if he ceases to be a member of the committee.

Area Minimum Wages Committees

An area minimum wages committee shall consist of—

(a) an independent chairman appointed by the Minister after prior consultation with the Governor of the State for which the committee is set up;

(b) three members representing governmental employers (of whom one member shall represent the Federal Government as an employer of labour and the other two members shall represent other governmental employers);

(d) three members representing the workers.

An area minimum wages committee may co-opt additional members for any particular purpose, but no such co-opted member shall have the right to vote.
The members of an area minimum wages committee, other than the chairman, shall be appointed by the Minister after prior consultation with the Governor of the appropriate State.
The chairman and other members (including co-opted members) of an area minimum wages committee shall be paid such remuneration and allowances, if any, as may be approved by the Minister with the concurrence of the Federal Ministry of Finance.

Interpretation

In this Schedule—

“Governmental employers” in relation to an area minimum wages committee set up for a State, means the Federal Government or the State as an employer of labour and any employer of local government workers in the State;

“Independent person” means a person who is—

(a) a retired or self-employed member of the professional classes, or a member of the judiciary, the clergy or the teaching staff of a university; and

(b) in the opinion of the Minister, independent of the representatives of the employers and workers in the relevant industry in as much as he is detached from and has no interest in the industry or in the issues in question.

Second Schedule

TRANSITIONAL AND SAVING PROVISIONS

[Section 26 (2).]

The following items of subsidiary legislation, that is to say—

(a) the Wages Board (Publication of Notices) Rules;

(b) orders made under the Wages Boards Act; and

(c) orders in council made under any enactment repealed by that Act which remain in force notwithstanding the repeal of the enactment, shall, to the extent that they were in force immediately prior to the commencement of this Act, remain in force as if they had been made under this Act and may be amended, added to, varied or revoked accordingly.

All wages boards appointed under the Wages Boards Act and existing immediately before the commencement of this Act, are hereby dissolved.
Any labour officer or inspector appointed under section 20 of the Wages Boards Act to act for the purposes of that Act shall, if his appointment was subsisting immediately before the commencement of this Act, be deemed to be an appointed officer within the meaning of this Act.
Within the twelve months immediately following the commencement of this Act the Minister may, by order in the Federal Gazette, make such additional transitional or saving provisions (not inconsistent with this Schedule) as appear to him to be necessary or desirable.

WAGES BOARDS AND INDUSTRIAL COUNCILS ACT

Constitution	Federal Laws	Treaties
State Laws	Court Judgments	Court Rules

WAGES BOARDS AND INDUSTRIAL COUNCILS ACT

LAWS OF THE FEDERATION OF NIGERIA

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