THE NIGERIA Labour Congress (NLC) urged courts to protect workers against exploitation, citing rising workplace injustices and power imbalance between labour and employers.
The NLC President, Mr Joe Ajaero, made the call on Thursday in Abuja at the 4th International Labour Adjudication and Arbitration Forum (I-LAAF).
The forum was organised by the Nigeria Employers’ Consultative Association (NECA) with the theme, “Access to Labour Justice in a Rapidly Changing World of Work.”
Ajaero said access to labour justice remained critical as the world of work continued to change, driven by precarious employment, gig work and union-busting practices.
“In a rapidly changing world of work, labour justice is increasingly contested, as exploitation, precarious employment and union-busting continue to undermine workers’ dignity.
“The concept of justice often favours employers, leaving workers at the receiving end of unfair practices in both the public and private sectors,” he added.
Ajaero said labour justice was not charity from employers or government but a fundamental right won through workers’ struggles.
According to him, workers’ rights are human rights and must be recognised, respected and protected across all workplaces.
Ajaero identified ignorance of labour rights as a major barrier to justice and urged employers to educate workers on their rights and obligations.
He said informed workplace actors would reduce disputes and promote equity, harmony and rule-based industrial relations.
The NLC president urged the judiciary to recognise the power imbalance between individual workers and large employers when adjudicating labour disputes.
He warned that ignoring class realities could legalise unfair dismissals and criminalise legitimate industrial actions.
Ajaero said prolonged litigation and excessive technicalities discouraged workers and eroded confidence in the justice system.
He said inaccessible justice often forced workers to resort to mass action and collective struggle to defend their rights.
Ajaero called on judges and arbitrators to uphold international labour standards, including ILO conventions on freedom of association and collective bargaining.
He urged courts to treat the right to strike as a fundamental human right rather than a privilege.
Ajaero said genuine industrial peace depended on workers’ trust in the justice system’s ability to protect them.
He commended NECA for sustaining the forum and reaffirmed NLC’s commitment to dialogue aimed at improving workplace justice nationwide. (NAN)
