Strike will hurt workers not help them

Urges union to address crisis via legal dispute resolution

From Adanna Nnamani, Abuja

The Nigeria Employers’ Consultative Association (NECA) has warned that the ongoing industrial action by the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN), over disputes with the Dangote Refinery, could cause more harm to workers than benefit.

NECA’s Director-General, Mr Adewale-Smatt Oyerinde, gave the warning in a statement issued on Tuesday.

Oyerinde expressed concern that the union’s tactics are disrupting businesses beyond those involved in the dispute, which could lead to job losses, reduce investor confidence, and weaken the country’s economy.

He emphasised that Nigeria already has established legal institutions, such as the Industrial Arbitration Panel and the National Industrial Court, specifically designed to handle such disputes.

The NECA DG argued that ignoring these frameworks threatens to undermine the country’s industrial relations system and economic recovery.

The employers’ group also challenged the government to step up and ensure that labour laws are respected and that strikes are conducted within legal boundaries to prevent widespread economic fallout.

Oyerinde stressed that while unions have the right to strike, this right comes with responsibility, which is to protect workers without destroying the enterprises that employ them.

He urged the Minister of Labour and Employment to intervene decisively to restore order and safeguard Nigeria’s industrial harmony.

According to him, “Actions taken in the name of protecting workers must not end up destroying the very enterprises that provide those jobs.

“It is unacceptable for any union to coerce others into joining an action or to disrupt lawful businesses. That is not industrial action; it is economic sabotage.

“The foundation of our industrial relations system is being trampled upon. We cannot sit by while unions act above the law.

“With Nigeria sending one of the highest delegations to the ILO every year, it is ironic that we still struggle to apply basic labour principles at home.

“Strikes must not become a weapon that ends up destroying livelihoods. When unions go rogue, it’s the workers who suffer in the end.”