The President of the Nigeria Labour Congress, Joe Ajaero, has voiced strong concerns over the use of judicial processes to restrict the fundamental rights of workers.

He also called for the collective effort of all stakeholders to deepen the promotion of labour justice as a means of strengthening industrial harmony and advancing social justice in Nigeria.

Ajaero made the call on Thursday in Abuja during the 2025 Annual Public Lecture of the NICN, themed “Labour Law and Labour Law Education.”

He stressed that a healthy, robust, and productive industrial relations environment was essential for national development, adding that a fair, impartial, and efficient judicial process was key to achieving this goal.

“For this to be achieved, it is imperative that key stakeholders within this process, particularly the judiciary, possess a deep and nuanced understanding of the actors and their psychology in the industrial relations sphere—their aspirations, strategies, legitimate tactics, and peculiar challenges. This understanding enables the making of balanced and equitable decisions that uphold justice,” Ajaero said.

He warned that the judicial process should not be used to suppress workers or their unions, but rather serve as a shield for the weak and vulnerable against exploitative employers.

The NLC President further expressed concern that governments, their agencies, and some private employers often resort to seeking court injunctions to prevent workers from exercising their rights to association and unionisation—rights which he said were constitutionally guaranteed.

Ajaero also urged the Federal Executive to transmit the reviewed Labour Administration Laws to the National Assembly for passage into law, stressing that the reforms were necessary to align Nigeria’s labour system with international best practices and the realities of the 21st-century workplace.

“The continued delay is a disservice to the labour adjudicatory process and undermines our nation,” he said.