CHAPTER 1 1
GENERAL INTRODUCTION 1
1. Introduction 1
1.1 The Nigerian Context and the Historical Perspective 6
1.1.1 The Colonial Heritage 6
1.1.2 A Brief Background to Nigeria’s Labour Relations Policy 15
1.1.2.1 The Policy of Voluntarism 15
1.1.2.2 Interventionism: The Emergence of a Policy Shift 17
1.2 Format of the Work 24
1.3 Definition of Terms 29
CHAPTER 2 31
THE CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK：DIFFERENT DIMENSIONS OF THE RIGHT TO STRIKE 31
2. Introduction 31
2.1 Definition and the Concept of the of Strike 33
2.1.1 Cessation of Work 35
2.1.2 Concerted Refusal to Work 36
2.2 Other Forms of Industrial Action 38
2.2.1 Overtime Ban 38
2.2.2 Work-in 39
2.2.3 Picketing 39
2.2.4 Lock-Out 42
2.3 The Right to Strike or the Freedom to Strike？ 43
2.4 The Right to Strike：An Individual or a Collective Right？ 49
2.5 The Right to Strike：An Economic or a Political Right？ 53
2.6 Disputes of Rights Versus Disputes of Interests 58
2.7 Restriction of the Right to Strike Through Collective Agreement：the Peace Obligation 62
2.8 The Right to Strike and the Concept of Essential Services 65
2.9 The Relationship between Freedom of Association，Collective Bargaining and the Right to Strike 69
2.9.1 Freedom of Association and the Right to Strike 70
2.9.2 Collective Bargaining and the Right to Strike 77
2.10 Conclusion 81
CHAPTER 3 84
THE INTERNATIONAL AND REGIONAL LEGAL FRAMEWORKS AND THEIR PLACE IN NIGERIAN LAW 84
3. Introduction 84
3.1 The International Legal Framework 85
3.2 Sources of the Right to Strike in International Law 86
3.2.1. The International Covenant on Economic，Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR) 86
3.2.2 The Right to Strike and the International Labour Organisation (ILO) 88
3.3 Sources of the Right to Associate in International Law 95
3.3.1 The International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) 95
3.3.2 The International Covenant on Economic，Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR) 96
3.3.3 The International Labour Organisation (ILO) and Freedom of Association 100
3.4 The ILO and Collective Bargaining in International Law 100
3.5 The International Legal Framework and Nigerian Domestic Law 103
3.5.1 Theories of Monism and Dualism 103
3.5.2 The Status of the International Legal Framework in Nigerian Law 107
3.6 Indirect Ways of Applying Non-Domesticated International Instruments 111
3.6.1 Non-Domesticated Treaties as Customary International law 112
3.6.2 Non-Domesticated Treaties as an Aid to Interpretation (Domestication by the Judiciary) 114
3.7 The Regional Legal Framework 117
3.7.1 The African Charter on Human and Peoples’Rights 118
3.7.2 The African Commission on Human and Peoples’Rights 125
3.7.3 The African Court on Human and Peoples’Rights 128
3.7,4 The Status of the Regional Legal Framework in Nigerian Law 131
3.8 Conclusion 134
CHAPTER 4 136
FREEDOM OF ASSOCIATION AND THE RIGHT TO STRIKE 136
4. Introduction 136
4.1 Sources of the Right to Associate in Nigerian Law 137
4.1.1 The Constitutional Basis for Workers’Freedom of Association 137
4.1.2 Protection of the Right to Associate Under the Labour Act 2004 139
4.1.3 Protection Under Section 12 of the Trade Unions Act 2004 142
4.2 Violations of Workers’Freedom of Association 143
4.2.1 The Right to Form and Join Trade Unions 144
4.2.2 The Right to Personal Liberty and Human Dignity 147
4.2.3 Freedom of Assembly 151
4.2.4 Freedom of Opinion and Expression 154
4.2.5 The Protection of Trade Union Property 155
4.3 The Right to Strike by Unorganised Workers and Unofficial Strikes 157
4.3.1 Strikes by Unorganised Workers 157
4.3.2 Unofficial Strikes 163
4.3.2.1 Protection of Employees From Danger 163
4.3.2.2 “Perishable Disputes” 164
4.3.2.3 Environmental and Safety Concerns of Workers 165
4.3.2.4 Breakdown in Machinery for Settlement of Disputes 166
4.3.2.5 Distance and Communication Problems 167
4.4 Conclusion 167
CHAPTER 5 170
COLLECTIVE BARGAINING AND THE RIGHT TO STRIKE 170
5. Introduction 170
5.1 The Meaning and Aims of Collective Bargaining 171
5.1.1 Settlement of Trade Disputes 174
5.1.2 Workplace Democracy 175
5.1.3 Redistribution of Power 177
5.1.4 Promotion of Efficiency 178
5.2 The Collective Bargaining Framework in Nigerian Law 180
5.2.1 Private Sector 181
5.2.2 Public Sector 182
5.2.3 Collective Bargaining and Trade Union Representation 184
5.2.4 Trade Union Representation and the Minority Right to Strike 185
5.2.5 The Right to Strike as a Weapon of Last Resort 189
5.3 Procedural Requirements Prior to the Strike 192
5.3.1 Settlement by the Grievance Procedures 192
5.3.2 Settlement by Mediation 193
5.3.3 Settlement by Conciliation 194
5.3.4 Settlement by the Industrial Arbitration Panel (lAP) 195
5.3.5 Settlement by the National industrial Court (NIC) 197
5.3.6 The Board of Inquiry 198
5.3.7 The Need to Give Advance Notice 207
5.3.8 Workers Must Vote to Go on Strike 210
5.4 The Principle of Proportionality 213
5.5 Conclusion 215
CHAPTER 6 219
PROHIBITIONS AND RESTRICTIONS ON THE RIGHT TO STRIKE 219
6. Introduction 219
6.1 Conditional Prohibition on the Exercise of the Right to Strike 220
6.2 Absolute Prohibitions on the Exercise of the Right to Strike 231
6.2.1 The Right to Strike and Essential Services 231
6.2.2 Why Protect Essential Services？ 243
6.2.3 Maintenance of Minimum Services 246
6.2.4 Graduated Strikes 247
6.2.5 The Right to Strike and Export Processing Zones (EPZs) 248
6.2.6 The Right to Strike in the Oil and Gas Industries 253
6.2.7 The Right to Strike During Emergencies 257
6.2.8 The Public Sector and the Right to Strike 261
6.2.9 Should Strikes by all Public Servants be prohibited？ 268
6.2.10 Rights of Workers Barred From Striking：Compensatory Mechanisms 273
6.3. Restrictions on the Exercise of the Right to Strike 275
6.3.1 Restrictions on the Right to Picketing 276
6.3.2 Disputes of Rights Versus Disputes of Interests 283
6.3.3 Restriction of the Right to Strike through Collective Agreement (the Peace Obligation) 286
6.3.4 Restrictions Relating to Political Strikes 291
6.3.4.1 Purely Political Strikes 296
6.3.4.2 Industrial／Political Strikes-Cases with Mixed Motives 298
6.3.4.3 Political Strikes and the Sovereignty Theory 301
6.3.4.4 Political Strikes and Representative Democracy 302
6.4 Conclusion 305
CHAPTER 7 307
LIABILITY FOR EXERCISING THE RIGHT TO STRIKE 307
7. Introduction 307
7.1 Civil Liability for Exercising the Right to Strike 308
7.1.1 Dismissal for Breach of a Contract of Employment 308
7.1.2 Loss of Wages and Other Benefits 318
7.1.3 The Labour Injunction 321
7.2 Civil Liability：Liability in Torts 325
7.2.1 Inducing Breach of Contract 325
7.2.1.1 Knowledge and Intention to Break the Contract 326
7.2.1.2 Inducement to Break the Contract 327
7.2.1.3 Actual Breach of the Contract 328
7.2.2 The Tort of Intimidation 329
7.2.3 Civil Conspiracy 330
7.2.4 The Statutory Immunity 332
7.3 Criminal Liability for Exercising the Right to Strike 334
7.3.1 Criminal Conspiracy 335
7.3.2 Conspiracy to Extort by Deceit 337
7.3.3 Penal Sanctions Imposed by the Labour Statutes 338
7.4 Criminal Sanctions against the Right to Strike：Have They Been Effective？ 339
7.5 Conclusion 344
CHAPTER 8 346
GENERAL CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS 346
BIBLIOGRAPHY 357
APPENDICES 387
Appendix 1：African Charter on Human and Peoples’Rights 1981 387
Appendix 2：Freedom of Association and Protection of the Right to Organise Convention，No. 87 of 1948 404
Appendix 3：Right to Organise and Collective Bargaining Convention No. 98 of 1949 406
Appendix 4：The Trade Disputes Act 2004 408
Appendix 5：Trade Disputes (Essential) Services Act 2004 434
Appendix 6：Trade Unions Act 2004 434
Appendix 7：Trade Union (Amendment) Act 2005 463