Continued criminalisation of strikes and overreliance on technicalities could erode public confidence in the justice system, the President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Joe Ajaero, has said.

He maintained that the judiciary must assume its moral and constitutional responsibility to defend workers against exploitation.

Speaking at the 4th International Labour Arbitration and Adjudication forum in Abuja, Ajaero explained that the global industrial relations climate was increasingly shaped by precarious employment space.

The ‘race to the bottom’ syndrome sacrifices labour protections on the altar of investment.

According to the NLC boss, workers’ experiences of judicial pronouncements tell a different story from what is bandied about in the official quarters.

He declared that labour rights were a fundamental human right, not discretionary privileges subject to political or corporate convenience.

To escape the social traps governments set around the world, trade unions must intensify efforts to educate members about their rights, noting that ignorance is one of the greatest impediments to access to justice.

According to Ajaero, employers in both the public and private sectors have a role to play by demonstrating deliberate compliance with labour standards and international conventions, rather than merely paying lip service.

He cautioned against legalising unfair dismissals and criminalising strikes through technical interpretations that undermine substantive justice.

He declared that when courts prevent workers’ unions from organising or engaging in industrial action, they risk being perceived as complicit in sustaining injustice.

Ajaero submitted that a vibrant, courageous, pro-people and pro-nation judiciary was capable of balancing technical legal considerations with the social realities of industrial relations. (The Guardian)

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