The President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Comrade Joe Ajaero, has called on the judiciary to consistently stand on the side of justice by protecting vulnerable workers from exploitation, warning that any perceived neutrality in labour disputes often tilts the balance in favour of the powerful and perpetuates systemic injustice.
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Ajaero made the call on Thursday, February 11, 2026, while delivering a keynote address at a one-day symposium organised by the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) Section on Public Interest and Development Law (SPIDEL) in Abuja, themed “Access to Justice: The Role of the Judiciary in Protecting Workers’ Rights.”
The NLC leader lamented what he described as a growing trend where courts appear to side with employers, multinational corporations, and government agencies in labour matters, often through prolonged adjournments, unfavourable rulings on injunctions, and delays in enforcing judgements.
“The judiciary must be the last hope of the common man, especially the working class. When courts fail to defend the weak against the powerful, they become complicit in entrenching inequality and exploitation.”
“Neutrality that consistently favours capital over labour is not neutrality it is bias disguised as impartiality. We have seen too many cases where injunctions are granted to employers to break strikes within hours, while workers wait years for justice on unpaid wages, unlawful dismissals and unsafe working conditions.”
“A judiciary that cannot protect workers from wage theft, casualisation, casualisation of labour, and union-busting is failing in its constitutional duty to uphold social justice. The Bench must rise to defend the weak, not the powerful.”
Ajaero cited recent examples, including prolonged legal battles over minimum wage implementation, mass sackings in the banking sector, and the use of court injunctions to cripple legitimate industrial actions. He urged judges to prioritise speedy adjudication of labour disputes and to interpret laws in a manner that advances social justice.
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The symposium featured presentations from senior advocates, labour lawyers, and representatives of the National Industrial Court, with discussions centred on strengthening access to justice for workers, addressing delays in the National Industrial Court, and reforming legal frameworks to better protect labour rights.
By Ogungbayi Beedee Adeyemi
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