The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has petitioned the International Labour Organization (ILO), accusing the Federal Government and some state governments of violating workers’ rights, suppressing trade union activities and breaching international labour conventions.
Addressing the Committee on the Application of Standards (CAS) during the 114th International Labour Conference in Geneva, NLC President Joe Ajaero alleged a pattern of intimidation, violence and interference in trade union affairs across the country.
The complaint places Nigeria under renewed scrutiny over its compliance with ILO Convention 98, which guarantees workers the right to organise and engage in collective bargaining.
Ajaero told the committee that workers and labour unions in Nigeria continue to face persistent violations of their rights, describing the situation as a systematic assault on trade union freedoms.
He cited the alleged attack on him in November 2023 while leading a union mission in Imo State, claiming he was assaulted during efforts to secure the implementation of a collective agreement, adding that no meaningful investigation had followed.
The NLC President also alleged that labour leaders in Osun State were intimidated with images of the attack to discourage legitimate union activities.
He further accused the Edo State Government of interfering in the affairs of the NLC by occupying the union’s state secretariat, rejecting its elected leadership and disrupting the inauguration of union officials.
According to Ajaero, similar concerns exist within the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), where he alleged continued government interference despite existing court judgments.
The NLC urged the ILO to declare Nigeria in breach of Articles 1, 2 and 4 of Convention 98, investigate alleged anti-union violence, restore trade union independence, enforce court decisions and guarantee the safety of labour leaders.
Ajaero described the situation as a growing threat to labour rights, warning that the crisis had spread beyond isolated incidents and called on the international labour community to ensure Nigeria complies with its obligations under international labour standards.
