LAGOS State chairman of the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), Hassan Akintoye, has made it clear that no employer of labour, either in the public, private sector or anywhere globally has the legal right to ban workers under its employment from embarking on strike.
He said strikes remain potent tool and last resort for workers to press home their demands from their employers.
Akintoye shared this thought with the Nigerian Tribune on a sideline at the recent three-day Trade Union Leadership workshop organised by Lagos State chapter of the union for its executive committee members from the local government to the state level.
He explained that the only condition by which strike could be declared illegal is when workers did not follow due procedures and guidelines, as stated in the labour law, before declaring such an action.
“An industrial action can also be declared illegal if the workers did not give room and enough time for consultation and negotiation on issues in disputes with their employers or agents before declaration,” he stressed.
He noted that every labour leader at any level of NUT is aware of these procedures but somtimes deviate from the rules due to pressure.
He said that “once the laid down procedures are followed, the issue of court restraining workers from going on strike or employers applying the policy of no work, no pay, would not be tenable.”
In his address Akinloye charged the participants totalling 103, to be more familiar with the rudiments of trade unionism to enable them to discharge their duties more effectively and without contravening the law.
“The NUT in Lagos has not been going on strike all along because there is no reason for such as public schools teachers in the state have good conditions of service and the government on its part is always ready for consultation when necessary.”
Giving an insight into the workshop, the state secretary of the group, Gbenga Ayetoba, said that the essence of the annual training programme is to refresh and sharpen participants’ knowledge and skills to perform their roles as union leaders and to also expose them to new trends in trade unionism at the local, national and global levels.
He said it is expected that participants will come out of the training with values to impact their members and humanity at large.
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