FG promises faster dispute resolution with new national industrial policy

…mulls new National Industrial Relations Observatory to track workplace grievances

The federal government on Wednesday launched the new national industrial policy, targeted at reducing time on dispute resolution with workers.

Maigari Dingyadi, minister of labour and employment, speaking at the launch of the new policy, promised to “upgrade the National Labour Institutions, including the Industrial Arbitration Panel and the National Labour Advisory Council for faster dispute resolution”.

He also revealed that the federal government will “establish a National Industrial Relations Observatory to track workplace grievances and intervene before they become strikes.”

The Minister notes that the document is not handed down from government, but a ” product of six years of tripartite consultation.”,

He commended the International Labour Organisation (ILO) for technical and financial support, as well as the NLC, TUC, and NECA for negotiating in good faith.”

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The new policy aims to correct decades of industrial relations space guided by statutes, conventions, and practice but without a unifying policy framework.

The minister stated that as a result, “disputes that should be resolved at the workplace too often escalate. Collective bargaining is sometimes adversarial rather than collaborative. In an economy facing rapid technological change, insecurity, and the need for job-rich growth, we cannot afford a fragmented approach. This policy provides the compass.”

The new Industrial Relations Policy rests on three pillars of Social dialogue, Rights at Work and Productivity and Competitiveness

The policy says “government, employers, and workers are equal partners”. “We commit to strengthening the National Labour Advisory Council and Sectoral Joint Councils as platforms for continuous engagement.”

The policy also reaffirms freedom of association, effective collective bargaining, elimination of forced labour and child labour, and non-discrimination, consistent with ILO Core Conventions we have ratified.

According to the new national industrial policy, industrial peace is not an end by itself; it must translate to more jobs, better wages, and competitive enterprises.

“The policy links dispute prevention to enterprise development, skills, and occupational safety.”

As part of measures to strengthen implementation, the minister said his ministry will roll out a “nationwide training programme for trade union leaders, HR managers, and labour officers on interest-based bargaining and mediation”.

The minister, while noting that over 80% of Nigeria’s workforce is informal, added that “this Policy extends dispute resolution and social protection frameworks to artisans, market associations, and platform workers through their cooperatives.”

He therefore appealed to the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) to use the policy as a tool to deepen constructive engagement. Let strikes remain a last resort.

“To NECA and employers, commit to fair negotiation, transparent financial disclosure during bargaining, and respect for agreements.

“To government MDAs, labour issues are whole-of-government issues. We will mainstream this policy into public sector employment and procurement.

The minister stated that President Bola Tinubu made job creation and poverty reduction the core of his Renewed Hope Agenda. You cannot create jobs in an atmosphere of distrust. You cannot reduce poverty where wages are lost to avoidable strikes.

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“This Policy is therefore a critical enabler of our national development plan. When factories run, farms operate, and schools open without disruption, the Nigerian worker wins and the economy grows.

In a goodwill message, Vanessa Phala, the ILO Director, described the new policy as one in which actors of the world of work are empowered to work together in a coherent, effective and efficient manner, based on clear rules, stronger institutions and well-structured mechanisms for the prevention and resolution of labour disputes

The Director said the policy also “reflects a holistic and forward-looking vision of industrial relations, addressing not only traditional concerns, such as social dialogue, collective bargaining, labour administration and dispute resolution, but also contemporary challenges arising from the energy, ecological and technological transitions, demographic change, the transformation of work, the informal economy and the future of work.”

She also described the policy as “an instrument for the protection of the legitimate interests of all actors in the world of work; a strategic lever for the promotion of social progress, social justice and inclusion; and a key tool for safeguarding productivity, competitiveness and economic performance in an increasingly complex and demanding environment.

“By strengthening industrial relations institutions, enhancing the capacities of social partners and reaffirming the central role of social dialogue, the policy contributes to building a climate of trust conducive to investment, decent job creation and social stability.” She said

Joe Ajaero, president of the NLC, applauded the new policy, adding that it will “provide us with a framework, a national instrument, to change the narrative of workplace experience in Nigeria.”

“As we move forward with implementing this national policy, we must remember that our collective will to make it work is important at this stage.”

Ajaero also described the role of the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment, especially with regard to workplace monitoring, inspection, dialogue and compliance, as “critical for success”.

He appealed to all the parties to “allow this national policy to moderate our approach to labour standards, working conditions, tripartite relations, collective bargaining, industrial action, industrial litigation, social dialogue, occupational health and safety, and productivity.”

“We must also pick lessons to help us improve the policy, which we believe is not set in stone but is subject to periodic review as needs arise. This way, we make this policy a living document.”