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Labour Congress alleges a secret plan to erode workers’ constitutional right to strike
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FG’s new policy is described as deceptive, unconstitutional, and anti-union
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NLC vows to resist any attempt to suppress labour freedoms across Nigeria
The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has rejected the newly introduced National Industrial Relations Policy, accusing President Bola Tinubu’s administration of plotting to criminalise workers’ rights under the guise of industrial reforms.
The union described the policy, which was approved during the Federal Executive Council meeting of July 31, 2025, as a veiled strategy to weaken organised labour, silence resistance, and override constitutional rights.
In a statement signed by its President, Comrade Joe Ajaero, the NLC expressed shock that from a wide range of workplace concerns, the Federal Government focused on industrial strikes as its primary issue.
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“This was contained in a statement signed by Comrade Joe Ajaero, President of the Nigeria Labour Congress,” the report read.
The statement reads partly: “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,” it stated.
“The trade unions, employers, and even representatives of the Federal Ministry of Labour rejected such insertions as anomalous to the 1999 Constitution and the Trade Unions Act, which empower unions to withdraw their services lawfully,” the statement added.
“That the government is celebrating the clandestine insertion of such a toxic clause in a policy document reveals the depth of mischief that some individuals in power can pursue just to suppress labour resistance,” it noted.
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“The Nigeria Labour Congress and the entire Labour Movement in Nigeria remain watchful and resolute in defending the rights, interests, and industrial liberties of Nigerian workers, as guaranteed by the Constitution, our labour laws, and international standards to which Nigeria is a signatory,” the statement added.
According to the NLC, the so-called reform is a “reprehensible policy direction” driven by officials attempting to bypass longstanding agreements forged through tripartite consultations involving unions, employers, and government.
Ajaero warned that no executive policy can override the Nigerian Constitution, stressing that workers’ right to withdraw services is fundamental and internationally recognised.
