Human rights lawyer and Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Femi Falana, has vocally defended the rights of Nigerian workers to form unions and engage in strike actions. He has described attempts to undermine these rights as “legally baseless and morally irresponsible.”
Falana’s defense is rooted in both Nigerian law and international conventions. He points to Section 40 of the Nigerian Constitution, which guarantees freedom of association, as the legal foundation for unionization. Furthermore, he highlights Nigeria’s adherence to International Labour Organization (ILO) Conventions 87 and 98, which specifically recognize the rights to unionization and collective bargaining.
He has long argued that strikes are not an act of sabotage but a “last resort” for workers when employers and the government fail to respect their rights and negotiate in good faith. He has also been a critic of anti-union practices, such as those allegedly employed by the Dangote Group, which attempted to force new drivers to sign agreements preventing them from joining unions.
In a recent interview, Falana emphasized that the right to unionize is a historical victory for Nigerian workers, noting that the country’s first trade union was formed in 1912. He has consistently championed this cause, representing various labor groups, including the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) and the National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG), in their legal and political struggles to assert their rights.
