Nigeria Ranked Among Countries with Worst Records on Workers’ Rights

A 2024 Global Rights Index report published by the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) on Saturday ranked Nigeria as one of the top countries with ‘chronic’ workers’ rights violations worldwide.

The ITUC, representing over 191 million workers across 169 countries and territories, with 340 national affiliates including the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC), also listed Costa Rica, Finland, Israel, Kyrgyzstan, Madagascar, Mexico, Qatar, the Russian Federation, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, and Switzerland as countries with severe violations of workers’ rights.

Severity of Violations

The report rates countries on a scale from 1 to 5+ based on the degree of respect for workers’ rights, with 13 countries, including Nigeria, receiving the worst ratings. The report highlights that 87% of countries globally violated the right to strike.

“This comes against the backdrop of a continuing, devastating cost-of-living crisis, technological disruption rapidly changing the world of work, and worsening global levels of violent conflict where working people face the catastrophic consequences of war,” the ITUC report stated.

NLC’s Response

In response to the ITUC report, the NLC released a statement acknowledging the dire situation, stating, “NLC acknowledges the recent report by the ITUC, which places Nigeria among the 13 worst countries for workers’ rights. This ranking, though alarming, is a critical and necessary reflection of the ongoing struggles faced by Nigerian workers. It underscores the urgent need for comprehensive reforms to protect and uphold workers’ rights in Nigeria.”

The NLC criticized the Nigerian government’s failure to adequately regulate and protect workplace relations, citing multiple systemic issues:

• Non-compliance with labor laws
• Failure to honor negotiated agreements
• Distorted national minimum wage negotiations
• Delayed implementation of minimum wage adjustments
• Inadequate enforcement of occupational health and safety standards

Repression and Exploitation

The NLC also highlighted the repression of labor unions, noting that legal and extra-legal measures are often used to undermine workers. The statement emphasized the government’s heavy-handed responses to strikes and peaceful protests, which undermine fundamental rights to organize and demand better working conditions.

Employers in both public and private sectors were also condemned for contributing to the abuse of workers’ rights through:

• Unfair dismissals
• Non-payment of wages
• Exploitation of temporary and casual workers
• Failure to provide basic benefits such as health insurance and pensions

The NLC stated, “The continued payment of starvation wages to Nigerian workers is a great abuse and deeply violates the rights of a worker to a decent income. The increased subjection of the Nigerian worker to a working poor strips him of his rights to humanity and thus denies him active participation in the nation’s socio-economy.”

Call to Action

The NLC urged the Nigerian government and employers to take immediate and decisive action to rectify these injustices, stating, “The international community is watching and documenting as the world is now a global village. There is, therefore, an urgent need to revise and enforce labor laws to ensure they meet international standards. This includes stringent penalties for violations and mechanisms to protect whistleblowers who report abuses.”

The ITUC report serves as a stark reminder of the ongoing challenges faced by workers in Nigeria and the urgent need for reforms to ensure their rights and dignity are protected.