By Michael Oche
African workers under the umbrella of the African Regional Organisation of the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC-Africa) have strongly rejected the recent attempts by the Federal Government of Nigeria to use the newly adopted National Industrial Relations Policy as a tool to criminalise strike actions.
In a letter addressed to Nigeria’s minister of labour and employment and signed by its General Secretary Akhator Joel Odigie from its Lome office, the workers organisation said the move is an attempt to silence trade unions, adding that such measures represent a direct affront to the principles of constitutionalism, democracy, and respect for fundamental rights.
Nigerian Pilot reports that the Federal Executive Council (FEC) had recently adopted the National Industrial Relation Policy for the country which it said is essential for regulating the conduct of the various trade unions within the industrial relations space in the country.
However, ITUC-Africa in its letter urged the government to refrain from wishful and potentially harmful interpretations of the National Industrial Policy to criminalise strikes, saying that the policy, as it stands, does not criminalise the right of workers to withdraw their labour.
It noted that the right to strike is not a privilege to be granted or withdrawn at will, it is a fundamental right enshrined in international labour standards, including ILO Conventions No. 87 (Freedom of Association and Protection of the Right to Organise) and No. 98 (Right to Organise and Collective Bargaining), to which Nigeria is a signatory.
The letter was copied to the Presidency, National Security Adviser (NSA), Senate President of the Nigerian Senate, Speaker of the House of Representatives, Chief Justice of Nigeria and National Employer Consultative Association (NECA).
It was also copied to the National Human Rights Commission, Nigeria; African Union Commission (AUC), Economic Community of West Africa (ECOWAS), African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights (ACHPR), the General Secretary, International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) and the Director General, International Labour Organisation (ILO).
The organisation also explained that the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the Trade Unions Act also recognise and protect the right of workers, individually and collectively, to withdraw their labour in the pursuit of fair treatment, just wages, and safe working conditions.
It said, “Dissent, freedom of speech, and freedom of opinion are not mere ideals, they are integral to constitutional governance and democracy. Any law or policy designed to suppress these rights is an assault on the very foundation of Nigeria’s constitutional order, tripartism and fledging social dialogue culture.
“Furthermore, by seeking to do an ingenious interpretation of this policy to target strike actions, we are concerned that the Federal Government of Nigeria is unnecessarily brewing avoidable industrial unrest. Our affiliate in Nigeria, the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), seeking to preserve Nigeria’s industrial harmony, informed us of the sleight of hand interpretation as contained in a statement issued by the Federal Executive Council on the 31st of July 2025.
“ITUC-Africa is concerned that such an interpretation will undermine not only trade union freedoms but also the democratic right of all citizens to express grievances and hold power to account, besides, such policy interpretation risks eroding the spaces and opportunities for Nigeria to consolidate its democracy.
“Democracy thrives when citizens and stakeholders, such as workers and their trade union organisations, have mechanisms and tools to advance accountability and safeguard rights at workplaces. We have resolved that workers and their trade unions will not remain idle and do nothing against plans to undermine industrial liberties and democracy”, it said.
The workers organisation said the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) Global Rights Index has, in recent years, documented a worrying decline in respect for trade union rights in Africa, with Nigeria already ranking among countries where such rights are increasingly under threat.
It noted that this latest manoeuvre risks further eroding Nigeria’s standing and reputation in the global community and could push the country deeper into the category of states that systematically deny workers’ rights.
ITUC-Africa therefore cautioned and advised the Nigerian government against using policies and actions to stifle and erode workplace rights. It said such attempts would only be counterproductive and undermine industrial harmony.
ITUC-Africa said it stands in full solidarity with the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the entire Nigerian labour movement in rejecting this perilous policy direction, adding that “Should we experience, in the future, the use of this policy to undermine workers and trade unions’ rights, ITUC-Africa, in concert with our affiliates across the continent and the world, will be left with no choice but to mobilise to defend these rights using all available means under continental and international
Credit: Nigerian Pilot