President of the Nigeria Labour Congress, Mr Ayuba Wabba, made the assertion in a statement on Thursday in Abuja.
Wabba’s reaction followed the Federal Executive Council’s approval on Wednesday to apply the no work, no pay principle during strikes.
According to Wabba, the right to go on a strike is a human and trade union right and cannot be wished away by any government policy.
“That’s why strike is legalised by our laws and has been exercised since the colonial era to date.
“The right to strike is what differentiates a worker from a slave; just like the right to strike, right to picketing, the right to work, right to protest and peaceful assembly.
“So, the issue of no work, no pay has always existed. It is morally and legally wrong to apply a phrase in a body of law without respecting all other provisions of the same law.
Wabba stressed that there were clear procedures provided by law on how workers can embark on a strike, saying “once this legal requirement is met, the no work, no pay rule cannot apply.”
