The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has rejected the newly adopted National Industrial Relations Policy announced by the Federal Government, warning that it amounts to an attempt to criminalise strikes and silence trade unions in the country.
The disclosure was contained in a statement signed by NLC President, Comrade Joe Ajaero, dated August 1, 2025.
The labour union said it considered the Federal Government’s focus on stopping frequent industrial actions as “very reprehensible,” stressing that the right of workers to withdraw their services is protected by the 1999 Constitution and the Trade Unions Act.
According to the statement, the policy was unveiled by the Federal Government at the end of the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting held on July 31, 2025. The NLC criticised the government for singling out strikes from a “catalogue of hundreds of workplace issues” as the main target of the new policy.
“The Nigeria Labour Congress (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.
“The statement was part of the press release by the Federal Government at the end of the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting, which took place on 31st July 2025. 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 statement read in part.
It added, “The trade unions, the employers and even the representatives of the Federal Ministry of Labour rejected such insertions as anomalous to the 1999 Constitution and the Trade Unions Act, which give trade unions the power to withdraw their services in line with the law.”
The union also recalled that during the policy’s development, there had been attempts to include clauses that would criminalise strikes. It said such proposals were rejected by trade unions, employers, and representatives of the Ministry of Labour for being inconsistent with constitutional provisions and international labour standards.
The statement further highlighted that Ajaero accused “personalities in the corridors of power” of undermining constitutional principles and workers’ rights.
While condemning the policy, the NLC assured Nigerian workers that the union would continue to protect their rights and remain vigilant against policies that threaten trade unions or industrial freedoms.