In a statement issued on Wednesday, Mr. Adewale-Smatt Oyerinde, the Director-General of the Nigeria Employers’ Consultative Association (NECA), urged the government and organized labor to carefully consider the repercussions of their actions on the economy and businesses.
Oyerinde’s remarks come amidst the second day of the ongoing strike by members of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC), initiated on November 13 to address the perceived inaction of the Federal Government concerning the assault on NLC President, Joe Ajaero, in Imo state.
NECA strongly condemned the harassment and brutalization of the NLC president, emphasizing that shutting down the entire national economy was unjustifiable.
Oyerinde questioned the effectiveness of incessant strikes in solving underlying issues, considering the challenging economic state.
He pointed out that organized businesses were already struggling to survive, emphasizing the need for fundamental considerations by both the government and labor.
Oyerinde stressed that the private sector should not be unfairly affected by actions or inactions, highlighting the detrimental impact on businesses and employees.
The Director-General urged a return to the negotiation table, emphasizing the importance of a pragmatic approach. If the current negotiation model proves ineffective, Oyerinde suggested adopting a new one. He advocated for the exploration of alternative dispute resolution mechanisms to foster a more constructive dialogue between the government and organized labor.