Trade Unionsim, Asymmetrical Relations and Diverse Processes of Enslavement in Selected Organizations in Nigeria

Abstract

The paper examines the intersections of trade unionism, asymmetrical power and 
modern enslavement to the oil and gas industry of Nigeria in the three oil and gas companies of 
strategic importance, i.e., Indorama Eleme Chemicals Limited (IECL), Dangote Refinery and Shell 
Petroleum Development Company (SPDC). In the formal organisations, the research investigates 
the character of labour flexibilisation, the reduced collective institutions and the dependency 
tactics as a control mechanism by the managerial control are exploitative employment relations 
based on the Marxist theory of labour exploitation and reliance on theory of power. It is a 
qualitative multiple-case study design that is analysed on the basis of secondary data, such as 
judicial decisions, compliance and appraisal reports, international labour documentation that were 
published from the year 2020-2025. The thematic analysis reveals that massive casualization and 
decentralization of the workforce, and low unionization increase power inequality and enable the 
application of coercive types of labour, which align with internationally defined signs of modern 
enslavement. The weak regulatory framework and job insecurity are a serious crippler to the ability 
to fight the issue of exploitation, whereas trade unions have become a place of resistance. The 
paper contributes to the literature on industrial relations by theorising the idea of modern slavery 
as a continuum of coercive labour relations internalised to extractive capitalism in the Global South 
and initiating the consequences of the labour regulation, union policy and the agendas of decent 
work.