Trade union leader Joe Ajaero awarded the Arthur Svensson International prize for Trade Union Rights 2026
De internationale Dag van de Arbeid, 1 mei, is een ideale gelegenheid om de aandacht te vestigen op de toestand van arbeidsrechten wereldwijd. Vakbondsleider Joe Ajaero (NLC) wordt dit jaar geëerd voor zijn compromisloze inzet voor de rechten van werknemers in Nigeria. Dit onder omstandigheden die worden gekenmerkt door geweld, bedreigingen en onderdrukking.
“Hij is een moedige en principiële vakbondsleider die onder dergelijke moeilijke omstandigheden blijft opkomen voor de fundamentele rechten van werknemers. Een zeer verdienstelijke winnaar van de Arthur Svensson-prijs”, aldus Frode Alfheim, voorzitter van de Noorse vakbond Forbundet Styrke en voorzitter van het Svensson-comité.
Subjected to violence and persecution
Joe Ajaero is President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and has been a key figure in the country’s labour movement for several decades.
Throughout his career, he has been a clear and principled advocate for workers’ rights, democracy and social justice, in a political climate marked by increasing authoritarian tendencies and growing pressure on the trade union movement.
He has been arrested, subjected to violence and threats, and has survived several serious attacks linked to his work. During the Abacha regime in the 1990s, he was imprisoned for his activism. In recent years, he has also been subjected to abduction, brutal assault, surveillance, ethnic harassment and attacks on his home.
This is a systematic campaign to silence trade union resistance in Nigeria. Yet Ajaero has refused to be silenced and continues to organize workers and fight for justice and dialogue, says Alfheim.
Contributed to securing a national minimum wage
Under his leadership, the Nigeria Labour Congress has been at the forefront of efforts to resist union-busting, defend civil liberties and oppose policies that weaken workers’ rights. The organisation has also challenged powerful private actors and their practices.
Despite significant pressure, Ajaero has led national mobilisation for trade union rights and helped secure a national minimum wage — an important achievement with major impact for millions of workers.
Drawing global attention to violations of workers’ rights in Nigeria
Ajaero has also played an important role internationally, particularly through his engagement in global trade union forums. His testimony at the launch of the ITUC Global Rights Index in Geneva in 2025 helped draw global attention to systematic violations of workers’ rights in Nigeria.
The Arthur Svensson Prize recognises those who stand at the forefront of the fight for trade union rights, often at great personal cost. Joe Ajaero embodies these values in an outstanding way, says Alfheim.
About the prize
The Arthur Svensson International Prize for Trade Union Rights is awarded annually by Forbundet Styrke to individuals or organisations that have made an outstanding effort for trade union rights internationally.
The prize is worth 500,000 NOK (nvdr: een halfmiljoen Noorse kroon is momenteel ongeveer 45.800 euro waard) and supports the work of the prize winner and brings international attention to their struggle.
The award ceremony will take place in Oslo on June 10th, 2026.
Egil Brandsøy
Watch the video of the prize winner:
Deze bijdrage verscheen op donderdag 16 april 2026 op de website van de Noorse vakbond Forbundet Styrke.
Het vakverbond Styrke is de op drie na grootste vakbond binnen de LO, de grootste Noorse vakbondscentrale. Styrke telt meer dan 80.000 leden in de olie- en gasindustrie, de agro-industrie en de gespecialiseerde technische beroepen.
https://styrke.no/nyhet/trade-union-leader-joe-ajaero-awarded-the-arthur-svensson-international-prize-for-trade-union-rights-2026/
https://styrke.no/nyhet/fagforeningsleder-joe-ajaero-far-arthur-svenssons-internasjonale-pris-for-2026/
Lees ook:
In Memoriam: Dan Gallin (1931-2025), internationaal vakbondsleider https://cimic-npo.org/2025/06/24/64-004/
