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…Vows to defend workers’ interests
From Bimbola Oyesola,
The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) at the weekend strongly condemned the Federal Government’s attempt to use the newly adopted National Industrial Relations Policy (NIRP) as a tool to criminalise strike and silence trade unions in Nigeria.
This is even as it vowed to resist any policies that seek to erode constitutionally protected freedoms.
NLC president, Joe Ajaero, expressed dismay reacting to the government’s announcement, following the July 31, 2025, meeting of the Federal Executive Council (FEC), stating that the NIRP aims to curb frequent industrial actions by trade unions.
“We are in shock that from a catalogue of hundreds of workplace issues contained in the National Industrial Relations Policy, the Federal Government singled out industrial strikes as its headache,” Ajaero said. “The unfortunate press statement exposes the mindset of those who were elected to protect the interests of the ordinary citizen, including workers.”
The NLC described the move as a “reprehensible” attempt to undermine fundamental workers’ rights, accusing government officials of seeking to dismantle hard-won labour liberties through “clandestine insertions” in policy documents.
“We recall that there were attempts during the development of the NIRP to insert clauses criminalising strike actions,” the NLC said, noting that such moves were rejected during consultations by trade unions, employers, and even officials from the Federal Ministry of Labour.
“That a government is celebrating the clandestine insertion of such a toxic clause… reveals the depth of mischief that some people in government can sink to,” Ajaero added.
According to the congress, such provisions are not only unconstitutional but also violate the Trade Unions Act and internationally recognised labour standards to which Nigeria is a signatory.
The NLC warned that any such policy, being subordinate to the Constitution and existing labour laws, cannot override the right of workers to withdraw their services peacefully and legally.
The NLC President reaffirmed the Congress’s commitment to defending workers’ rights and vowed to resist any policies that seek to erode constitutionally protected freedoms.
“As we condemn and reject this new law in industrial relations in Nigeria, we assure Nigerian workers that the leadership of the Congress and the Labour Movement remain watchful on our mandate of protecting the rights, interests, and hard-won industrial liberties,” the NLC president stated.
“The struggle continues,” the statement affirmed — underscoring organised labour’s readiness to challenge what it views as a backdoor attempt to muzzle trade unions under the guise of policy reform.
