NECA Urges FG, States to Respect ILO Conventions On Workers, Employers’ Rights

Dike Onwuamaeze in Lagos

The Nigeria Employers’ Consultative Association (NECA) has  called on the federal and state governments to respect the provisions of Nigeria’s constitution and International Labour Organisation’s (ILO) 087 Convention, which guaranteed the freedom of association and the rights to organise for workers and employers alike.

This call was made in a letter addressed to the Minister of Labour and Employment, Simon Lalong, by the Director General of NECA, Mr. Adewale-Smatt Oyerinde, which was titled: “Need for Government to Respect ILO Convention 087: Freedom of Association and Protection of the Right to Organise, 1948.”

The letter, which was dated September 4, 2023, and copied to the NLC and the TUC, stated that governments’ continued disrespect of these provisions would mark a dangerous trend for Nigeria’s industrial relations system and its position in the international labour community where it is the current chairman of the ILO’s governing body.

The NECA said: “It is worrisome that government, both at the federal and state levels will violate the provisions of Convention 087 of the ILO, which guarantees the freedom of association and protection of the rights to organise for workers and employers. This is equally guaranteed and enshrined in our laws i.e. Section 40 of the 1999 Constitution, as amended.”

The NECA noted that while it might have some ideological differences with the organised labour, it, however, “align absolutely on the need for government at all levels to respect the provisions of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the said ILO’s convention, which has been ratified by Nigeria, in order to maintain a peaceful industrial harmony in the country.”

Oyerinde observed that it was no longer news that the NLC, which is a social partner and constituent of the ILO, has continued, “to face different onslaughts by some state governments and their agents.”

He, therefore, added that NECA, “affirm, most respectably that the Articles of Convention 087 (especially Articles 1, 2, 3 and 4 among others) explicitly guarantees the rights of workers and employers to exercise these rights without interference from government.

“This position was also strongly affirmed at the last National Labour Advisory Council’s (NLAC) meeting, which held from July 12 to 14, 2023 in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State.”

The employers’ association also told Lalong that it was counting on his, “experience and goodwill to address this anomaly that could plunge the nation into ridicule at the international community, cause disruption in our industrial relations practice, amongst others.”