Nigeria: Serious violations of core labour standards

INTERNATIONAL CONFEDERATION OF FREE TRADE UNIONS

ICFTU OnLine:
066/100505

New ICFTU report submitted to the WTO:

Serious violations of core labour standards in Nigeria

BRUSSELS, 10 May 2005, ICFTU Online: A new report by the ICFTU on core
labour standards in Nigeria, which coincides with Nigeria's trade policy
review at the WTO this week, shows serious shortcomings in the
application and enforcement of all eight core labour standards,
particularly with regard to the lack of trade union rights of workers
including the right to strike, discrimination and child labour. In
October 2004, the President of the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) was
arrested during a general strike despite the fact that the action was an
entirely legitimate exercise of the collective rights of the trade union
movement. Though released, he is still facing criminal charges in an
Abuja High Court while police have raided his house and office on
several occasions.

A new Trade Union Amendment Act, which was adopted recently, fails to
address adequately problems identified in the report with regard to
freedom of association and the right to collective bargaining, the right
to strike and anti-union policies. The new Act is aimed at curbing the
right to strike and at weakening the Nigerian Labour Congress. The Act
was presented without adequate consultations through the tripartite
labour review set up with assistance of the ILO, contrary to what was
promised. Furthermore, trade union rights are restricted in Export
Processing Zones and strikes prohibited in such zones for a period of
ten years, which is directly contrary to ILO conventions.

The ICFTU and the NLC consider that in view of the seriousness of these
problems, there is need for a much stronger commitment to social
dialogue by the Federal Government of Nigeria in order to achieve a
culture of constructive engagement of labour over policies and
governance issues. It is also imperative to abrogate the Public Order
Act, which compels organisations to seek a permit from the Police before
any assembly. The law gives the Commissioners of Police latitude to
refuse to issue such a permit or to break up assemblies convened without
one. As such permits are invariably denied, the right to assembly
provided for by the Constitution and the right to freedom of association
cannot be meaningful as long as this law still exists.

Discrimination in employment and wages is persistent in Nigeria. Surveys
show a wage gap between men and women and a highly segregated labour
market. Few women are employed in the formal economy due to social
discrimination in education and training and to a gender-based division
of labour in the formal economy. Moreover, the Minimum Wage Act excludes
many workers, in particular those groups where women are
disproportionately represented such as part-time workers and seasonal
agricultural workers.

Child labour is widespread in Nigeria, and it was estimated in 2003 by
the ILO and the government that 15 million children are working, of
which up to 40% is at risk of being trafficked for forced labour, forced
prostitution and armed conflict. 6 million children do not attend school
and 2 million work more than 15 hours per day. Many children are also
trafficked into Nigeria for the purpose of forced labour. Several child
slave camps exist in the Western States of Nigeria, where children are
used as slaves in mining and on rubber plantations.

To read the full report:
http://www.icftu.org/displaydocument.asp?Index=991221621&Language=EN

The ICFTU represents 145 million workers in 231 affiliated organisations
in 154 countries and territories. ICFTU is also a member of Global
Unions: http://www.global-unions.org

For more information, please contact the ICFTU Press Department on +32 2
224 0232 or +32 476 621 018.