The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has vehemently rejected the newly introduced National Industrial Relations Policy by the Federal Government, describing it as a backdoor attempt to criminalise strike actions and weaken the power of trade unions in the country.
In a statement issued on Thursday and signed by its President, Comrade Joe Ajaero, the NLC accused the administration of President Bola Tinubu of targeting organised labour under the guise of reforming industrial relations.
The controversial policy, which was adopted during the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting held on July 31, 2025, was touted by government officials as a strategy to curb incessant strikes.
However, the NLC dismissed the claim as deceptive, warning that the real intent was to silence workers and erode constitutional labour rights.
“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,” the NLC said.
The labour union said it was deeply concerned by what it described as a “reprehensible policy direction” and accused government officials of trying to override long-standing agreements reached through tripartite consultations involving workers, employers, and the Ministry of Labour.
Ajaero recalled that during the policy development process, there were attempts to insert clauses that would criminalise strikes—a move the stakeholders overwhelmingly rejected.
“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,” he noted.
The NLC accused unnamed government officials of attempting to enjoy democratic governance while simultaneously disregarding constitutional principles, rule of law, and international labour standards.
According to Ajaero, “The right of workers and unions to withdraw their services is fundamental and inalienable.
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.”
He stressed that no policy document, however officially endorsed, can override the supremacy of the Nigerian Constitution and labour laws.
While rejecting what it called “a new law through the backdoor,” the NLC assured workers that it would resist any attempt to erode workers’ freedoms and liberties.
“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 concluded.
The policy has already stirred intense debate among labour watchers, with many warning that any effort to curtail the right to strike could spark widespread industrial unrest across the country.
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