The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has issued a strong condemnation of the Federal Government’s newly adopted National Industrial Relations Policy (NIRP) 2025, accusing it of attempting to criminalize strike actions and suppress trade unions. The policy, approved by the Federal Executive Council (FEC) on July 31, 2025, has sparked significant controversy, with the NLC vowing to protect workers’ rights and industrial liberties.
In a statement released on August 1, 2025, in Abuja, NLC President Joe Ajaero expressed shock at the government’s focus on curbing strikes, describing it as a direct threat to workers’ constitutional rights. “NLC considers the statement by the Federal Government that the newly adopted National Industrial Relations Policy is aimed at stopping frequent industrial actions, particularly strikes by trade unions, as very reprehensible,” Ajaero said. He highlighted that the policy’s emphasis on strikes, among numerous workplace issues, reveals a troubling mindset. “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,” he added.
Ajaero recalled that during the policy’s development, attempts to insert clauses criminalizing strikes were rejected by trade unions, employers, and the Federal Ministry of Labour as unconstitutional. “The press statement exposes the mindset of those who were elected to protect the interests of the ordinary citizen, including workers,” he stated, criticizing the government for undermining the tripartite process of social dialogue. The NLC leader emphasized that the right to strike is a fundamental and inalienable right protected by the 1999 Constitution and the Trade Unions Act. “The right of a worker and trade unions to withdraw their services is fundamental and inalienable. That a government is celebrating the clandestine insertion of such a toxic clause in a National Industrial Relations Policy, which, anyway, is inferior to the Constitution and Trade Union Act, reveals the depth of mischief that some people in government can sink just to feed their fantasy on chains and whips,” Ajaero declared.
He reassured workers that the NLC would remain vigilant in its role as a defender of labour rights. “While the Nigeria Labour Congress and Organised Labour in Nigeria 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 guaranteed by the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, our labour laws and indeed fundamental international labour standards which Nigeria is signatory to,” Ajaero affirmed.
The controversy surrounding the NIRP 2025 comes at a time when Nigeria’s workforce faces significant economic challenges, including rising inflation and stagnant wages, which have fueled frequent industrial actions. The NLC’s rejection of the policy signals potential tensions in the nation’s industrial landscape, as labour unions prepare to resist any measures perceived as infringing on their rights. The government has yet to respond to the NLC’s criticisms, leaving uncertainty about the policy’s implementation and its broader implications for Nigeria’s labour movement.
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