The Global Economy, Trade Unions and The Protection of Workers' Rights in Nigeria

Abstract

Since the inception of paid/wage employment, through a combination of sustained struggles and appeals to the conscience of the rest of society, workers, using the platform provided by their organizations (trade unions), have been able to secure for themselves a number of rights. These rights are predicated on, and complemented by, some constitutional provisions which confer certain rights on workers as citizens of their countries. However, in the new world economic order elegantly referred to as globalization workers' rights have been dealt a devastating blow. Under globalization driven by neoliberalism and anchored on less state involvement in the economic sphere, governments, particularly in their obsession to attract foreign direct investments as well as satisfying private corporate interests, have been arm‐twisted to relax labor laws that seek to protect workers from extreme abuse within the employment relationship. This unfolds within the context of the increasing autocracy of the capitalist state, not only in Nigeria but worldwide by which basic labor rights, such as the right to freedom of association and collective bargaining, are brazenly violated even in the advanced democracies.Based on a combination of empirical data and secondary materials, this essay establishes that the level of compliance with existing legislation on workers' rights is low in Nigeria. The research also finds that official enforcement is equally low; a situation that is encouraged by weak institutional capacity of the labor administration system. Closely related to weak institutional capacity is the lack of the political will on the part of the subservient Nigerian state to protect its worker‐citizens. It is against this backdrop that the paper submits that given the failure of the state to ensure compliance with laws which seek to protect workers, workers, their organisations, and allies within the broader labour movement need to look beyond the state and its agencies to secure rights at work. The reality equally calls for a deeper understanding of the issues involved and a holistic response of the working class, both national and transnational.