Nigeria has come under scrutiny at the ongoing 114th session of the International Labour Conference in Geneva, Switzerland, over alleged failure to fully implement the provisions of International Labour Organisation Convention 98, which protects workers’ rights to organise and engage in collective bargaining.
The issue came up before the Committee on the Application of Standards, a statutory standing committee of the ILO conference responsible for reviewing the application and enforcement of ILO conventions, recommendations and protocols by member states.
The committee is asking Nigeria to report on its implementation of Convention 98, which deals with the right of workers to organise and collectively bargain.
Explaining the development, the General Secretary of the International Trade Union Confederation, African Regional Office, Joel Odigie, said Nigeria was being asked to respond to concerns identified by the ILO Committee of Experts on the Application of Conventions and Recommendations.
According to him, the matter is not only about Nigeria, as several countries are also listed in a broader report concerning compliance with different ILO conventions.
He said the purpose of the process was not necessarily to attack or embarrass a country, but to identify violations and recommend corrective measures.
Odigie explained that Convention 98 is essentially about freedom of association and collective bargaining, stressing that where workers are prevented or undermined from organising, their ability to negotiate and engage in collective bargaining is weakened.
He said, “For Nigeria this year, it has been asked to respond to infractions, to concerns the experts have observed concerning Nigeria’s implementation of the provisions of Convention 98. Essentially, it is about freedom of association.”
One of the major issues raised in the report, according to him, is the crisis within the National Union of Road Transport Workers.
Odigie said the report questioned what he described as the interference in the leadership of the union and the alleged takeover of the NURTW leadership by a group linked to MC Oluomo with the backing of state apparatus.
He described the situation as unacceptable, arguing that government must not interfere in the internal affairs of trade unions.
“You cannot interfere in trade union activities. There is a process that has produced a leader of a sectoral national centre, and another group, through what we have seen in the report as an act of gangsterism and a mafia-like situation, has taken over the leadership of that organisation, and they are enjoying state backing. This is wrong,” he said.
He also raised concern over government’s failure to implement collective bargaining agreements, describing such conduct as irresponsible.
Odigie further said certain categories of workers in Nigeria are still being prevented from joining trade unions, including workers in the Customs Service, Correctional Service, Immigration Service, Central Bank of Nigeria, and the Minting and Printing sector.
According to him, these workers are not armed personnel and should not be barred from unionising.
The Nigerian Government, however, said it has not failed in relation to the allegations raised against it.
In its initial response, the government maintained that there are existing structures for resolving labour disputes, including the Ministry of Labour and Employment and other dispute resolution mechanisms.
It also pointed to the recent launch of the National Industrial Relations Policy with the support of the ILO as evidence of its commitment to addressing labour-related concerns.
The government said the Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr Muhammad Dingyadi, and the Nigerian authorities are on top of the issues currently on ground.
Nigeria is expected to present its official documented response to the committee on Friday.
Dr Dingyadi is also expected to present Nigeria’s response to the opening address of the ILO Director-General.
The development places Nigeria’s labour rights record under international attention, particularly on issues of freedom of association, collective bargaining, implementation of labour agreements, government interference in trade unions and the right of workers in certain public institutions to unionise.
The outcome of Nigeria’s appearance before the committee is expected to determine the next phase of engagement between the country, the ILO and international labour organisations.
