The 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 or private sector anywhere globally has the legal right to ban workers under its employment from embarking on industrial action.
He said industrial actions remain a potent tool and a last resort for workers to press home their demands from their employers.
Akintoye shared this thought with Nigerian Tribune on a sideline at the recent three-day Trade Union Leadership Workshop organised by the Lagos State chapter of NUT for its executive committee members from local government to the state level.
He explained that the only condition where industrial action could be declared illegal is when workers did not follow due process as stipulated in the labour law before declaring such an action.
“And that is when workers do not give room and enough time for consultation and negotiations on issues in disputes with their employers or agents before declaring an industrial action,” he noted.
Hassan explained that all labour leaders at every level know the procedures and guidelines to go on strike but at times deviate from the rules maybe because of undue pressure they face.
He said 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.
The NUT boss, while addressing participants at the event, urged them to be more familiar with the rudiments of trade unionism so that they would be able to discharge their duties more effectively and without contravening the law.
He said the fact is that NUT in Lagos has not been going on strike all along because there is no reason for such as public school teachers in the state have good conditions of service and the state government on its part always ready for dialogue with workers when necessary.
Giving an insight into the workshop, the state secretary of the group, Gbenga Ayetoba, said the essence of the annual training programme is to refresh and sharpen participants knowledge and skills to perform their roles as union leaders and also to expose them to new trends in trade unionism at local, national and global levels.
He said it is expected that participants would come out of the training with values to impact their people and humanity at large.