ICJ advisory opinion affirms right to strike, labor groups demand compliance

The International Court of Justice issued an advisory opinion confirming that the right to strike is protected under ILO Convention No. 87 on Freedom of Association. Labor coalition NAGKAISA welcomed the ruling, urging governments and employers to respect workers’ right to organize and to strike when dialogue fails, calling the right “a democratic safety valve”.

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) also called on the Nigeria Employers’ Consultative Association to fully comply with the ICJ decision. NLC President Joe Ajaero criticised the association’s director for questioning the ruling, describing his remarks as “a painful but avoidable and needless act of hair‑splitting” and stressing that “the law must be obeyed wholly and not selectively”. He noted that Nigeria ratified Convention 87 in 1960 and that the ICJ’s decision is binding on the country.