Joint Health Sector Unions (JOHESU) has opposed the move to use Nigeria’s newly approved National Industrial Relations Policy (NIRP) to criminalise strikes or undermine trade union activities.
In a statement jointly signed by its national chairman, Comrade Kabiru Ada Minjibir and national secretary, Comrade Martin Egbanubi, JOHESU rejected remarks attributed to the minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, after the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting on July 31, 2025.
The unions argued that the minister’s statement negates workers’ fundamental rights to freedom of association and to strike, as enshrined in International Labour Organisation (ILO) Convention 87 of 1948, which Nigeria is a signatory.
“Rather than addressing the broader industrial relations framework and maintaining internationally accepted engagement standards, the new policy appears deliberately aimed at restricting workers and their unions,” JOHESU stated.
The unions expressed concern that organised labour is often unfairly portrayed as the primary driver of industrial unrest. Most disputes arise from the government and employers’ failure to honour Collective Bargaining Agreements (CBAs), Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs), and even court judgments.
While insisting it is not opposed to a robust industrial relations policy, JOHESU urged the federal government to submit the NIRP for further scrutiny and allow input from all tripartite partners during its consideration at the national assembly.
The unions also called for strengthening the National Labour Advisory Council (NLAC) to promote effective dialogue, uphold international labour standards, and ensure compliance with Nigeria’s existing labour laws.
