The Federal Government is facing renewed scrutiny at the International Labour Organisation after the Nigeria Labour Congress accused authorities of serial violations of workers’ rights, anti-union discrimination, and interference in the affairs of trade unions across the country.
Addressing the Committee on the Application of Standards at the 114th International Labour Conference in Geneva, NLC President Joe Ajaero urged the ILO to find Nigeria in breach of the Right to Organise and Collective Bargaining Convention, 1949 (No. 98), citing what he described as a pattern of intimidation, violence, interference, and discrimination against workers and their organisations.
“I speak on behalf of the Nigeria Labour Congress, the most representative central trade union organisation in Nigeria and an affiliate of the International Trade Union Confederation,” Ajaero said in the speech shared with The PUNCH on Sunday.
“We appear before this Committee because workers and their organisations in Nigeria continue to face persistent violations of the Right to Organise and Collective Bargaining Convention, 1949.”
According to him, the alleged violations are not isolated incidents but part of a broader trend that undermines workers’ ability to organise freely and engage in collective bargaining.
Ajaero argued that the attack on him in Imo State in November 2023 constituted a clear case of anti-union discrimination prohibited under Convention No. 98.
The labour leader said he was violently attacked and seriously injured while leading a legitimate trade union mission aimed at securing the implementation of a 2021 collective agreement and addressing issues including pension arrears, unpaid salaries, allowances, and alleged intimidation of workers.
