Trade unions as social movements and political actors in Nigeria (1994-2004)

This paper deals with the significant role of Nigerian trade unions within social movements and on the political scene between 1994 and 2004. The decade was marked by major mobilizations in which labour played an important part. Throughout a tumultuous democratization occurring under economic adjustment, the trade unions have spearheaded popular movements that have confronted both military and civilian regimes. Rallying the support of the great mass of the people against an authoritarian state controlled by a power‐hungry minority, they have sized the opportunities of the times and used their strategic resources to make their voice heard. And despite the repression and the setbacks they suffered all along, they have been one of the main social forces able to consistently intervene in and influence the national debate. Whether striking to the transition process or, ten years later, to oppose neo‐liberal policies, the Nigerian organised labour movement has been a prominent actor and valuable contributor to the social, economic and political developments of its country.