New Industrial Relations Policy Will Criminalise Strikes—NLC
The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has rejected the newly adopted National Industrial Relations Policy by the federal government, describing it as an attempt to criminalise strikes and undermine workers’ rights.
In a statement issued in Abuja on Saturday, NLC President, Joe Ajaero, expressed shock over the government’s claim that the new policy is intended to curb frequent industrial actions by trade unions.
He warned that the policy could effectively silence organised labour and erode constitutional protections.
The government had announced the adoption of the policy at the end of the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting held on July 31, 2025.
“We are alarmed that, out of numerous issues covered in the National Industrial Relations Policy, the government has chosen to focus primarily on industrial strikes as its main concern,” Ajaero said.
“This reveals a troubling mindset on the part of those entrusted with protecting the rights of ordinary Nigerians, including workers.”
Ajaero recalled that similar attempts were made during the policy’s drafting stages to insert clauses that would make strike actions a criminal offence.
He noted that such proposals were rejected at the time by trade unions, employers, and the Federal Ministry of Labour as being inconsistent with the 1999 Constitution and the Trade Unions Act.
He stressed that the right of workers and trade unions to withdraw their services is both “fundamental and inalienable,” arguing that any policy or clause that seeks to undermine that right is inferior to existing legal frameworks.
“The NLC and organised labour in Nigeria categorically reject this new framework for industrial relations,” Ajaero said, while assuring workers that the Congress remains vigilant in defending their rights and freedoms.
He added that these rights are not only protected by the Constitution and labour laws but are also upheld under international labour standards to which Nigeria is a signatory.
New Industrial Relations Policy Will Criminalise Strikes—NLC is first published on The Whistler Newspaper
