Weak labour movement ‘ll hurt all, not just workers – NLC.
By Victor Ahiuma-Young The consequences of a weakened labour movement could extend far beyond factories, government offices and other workplaces, leaving millions of Nigerians without a strong collective voice to challenge policies affecting their economic survival, rights and welfare.
Beyond its traditional responsibility of negotiating wages and protecting workers’ interests, Labour movement has historically served as an important platform for defending ordinary Nigerians, challenging unpopular government policies and protecting the civic space.
Its weakening, therefore, could have consequences for people who are not necessarily members of any trade union but whose livelihoods are affected by government decisions.
This was the concern expressed by the President of the NLC, Joe Ajaero, who warned that Nigerians would become victims if the labour movement collapsed. “If the labour movement collapses today, all of us will become victims,” Ajaero declared in Lagos, while speaking at the 2026 Annual Conference of the Labour Writers Association of Nigeria (LAWAN), themed: Workers at the Centre of Nigeria’s Political Transition: Defending Rights, Advancing Welfare and Building Economic Justice. His warning was particularly directed at Nigerians who appear to regard the struggles of organised labour as the exclusive responsibility of workers and trade union leaders, even when the issues being contested affect their daily lives. According to him, the labour movement remains one of the important voices defending the interests of ordinary Nigerians, adding that its collapse would leave workers and other vulnerable groups with fewer platforms through which to express their grievances.
MSEApp News is publishing an original rewrite of this tip for readers, based on reporting associated with Vanguard.