World Day for Decent Work: NLC Warns Against “Sacred Cows” in Labour Relations

By Chinedu Echianu

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has issued a strong warning to the Federal Government and private employers, declaring that no company or individual should be placed above the law in matters of workers’ rights.

In a statement to mark the World Day for Decent Work, NLC President, Comrade Joe Ajaero, said Nigerian workers continue to face exploitation and abuse despite existing labour laws and international conventions designed to protect them.

“The relentless assault on the pillars of Decent Work must end. No sacred cows! Workers’ rights must be defended,” Ajaero declared.

The labour leader outlined the four pillars of the International Labour Organisation’s Decent Work Agenda – job creation, social protection, rights at work, and social dialogue – and accused both government and private employers of undermining them in Nigeria.

According to him, failure to protect decent work principles threatens national development. “A nation that fails to guarantee fair incomes, safe workplaces, and the right to organize is a nation that actively sabotages its own productive capacity,” he said.

The NLC particularly condemned recent comments by Vice President Kashim Shettima describing the Dangote Group as a “national asset”, suggesting it should receive special treatment. The union described such remarks as a “national tragedy” that undermines the rule of law.

“This dangerous pronouncement green-lights the mindless actions of the Dangote Group, which has brazenly violated the rights of its workers to freedom of association and union membership. Dangote is not a national asset but a national tragedy,” the NLC insisted.

The union accused the conglomerate of blocking unionisation efforts and warned that the government’s failure to act amounts to siding with employers against citizens. “By encouraging this lawlessness, the government is promoting disdain for our nation’s institutions and emboldening impunity,” Ajaero said.

The NLC also cited the alleged sacking of thousands of workers at the NLNG Train 7 project in Rivers State, replaced with foreign labour, as another example of corporate disregard for workers’ rights.

Ajaero stressed that no company, regardless of size or influence, should be above Nigeria’s labour laws, warning that granting special privileges would spark unrest.

On this year’s Decent Work Day, the NLC demanded:

Immediate recognition of trade unions in all workplaces.

Stronger enforcement of industrial relations laws.

An end to the “sacred cow syndrome” in government’s treatment of big corporations.

“The serial violations of decent work principles are a ticking time bomb,” Ajaero warned. “We will mobilize, we will organize, and we will fight back. We insist that there are no sacred cows.”