The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has condemned the Federal Government’s newly approved National Industrial Relations Policy, describing it as a disguised effort to criminalise strikes and weaken trade unions. NLC President Joseph Ajaero faulted the policy’s focus on curbing industrial actions, which was outlined in the communiqué from the July 31 Federal Executive Council meeting chaired by President Bola Tinubu.

Ajaero argued that the policy’s emphasis on restricting strikes betrays the government’s disregard for workers’ rights and its constitutional obligations. He said the right to withdraw labour is “fundamental and inalienable” and warned against “the clandestine insertion of such a toxic clause” into the policy framework. The NLC accused the government of undermining tripartism and social dialogue, noting that earlier attempts to criminalise strikes were rejected by labour, employers, and even the Ministry of Labour as unconstitutional.

The union vowed to resist any move to erode workers’ freedoms, warning that such efforts would be met with firm opposition. “The Labour Movement remains watchful on our mandate of protecting the rights, interests, and hard-won industrial liberties guaranteed by the Constitution, our labour laws, and international labour standards to which Nigeria is a signatory,” the NLC stated.