Does freedom of Assembly and association covers forming and joining trade unions?
The freedom to form and join trade union is covered under right to peaceful assembly and association. Section 1(1) of the Trade Union Act provides that a trade union means:
…any combination of workers or employers, whether temporary or permanent, the purpose of which is to regulate the terms and conditions of employment of workers, whether the combination in question would or would not, apart from this ACT be an unlawful combination by reason of any of its purposes being in restraint of trade and whether its purpose do or do not include the provision of the benefits for its members.
Kindly note for an association to be regarded as a trade union, it must be of workers or employers, and its mission is to regulate terms and conditions of workers in Nigeria.