By Charles Pemu 
The Nigeria Employers’ Consultative Association (NECA) has issued a sharp warning against the ongoing industrial action by the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN), calling it an act of “self-help” and “economic sabotage” capable of derailing Nigeria’s fragile economic recovery.
In a statement released by Director-General Mr. Adewale-Smatt Oyerinde, NECA strongly condemned the union’s tactics, arguing they undermine the established legal frameworks for dispute resolution in the country.
NECA stressed that Nigeria has statutory institutions like the Industrial Arbitration Panel (IAP) and the National Industrial Court of Nigeria (NICN) designed to resolve labor disputes.
Against Lawful Practice: Oyerinde asserted that resorting to “self-help” and treating institutions of labor administration with “disdain” is not only “absurd” but also violates established local and global industrial relations practices and ILO Conventions 87 and 98.
Discouraging Investment: He warned that any action capable of discouraging investment, undermining enterprise sustainability, or coercing workers not interested in the strike will ultimately be counter-productive.
Coercion Unacceptable: NECA deemed it “unacceptable” for any union to conscript members who aren’t interested in the action or disrupt the operations of legitimate businesses that are not party to the dispute.
NECA called on the Minister of Labour and Employment to act decisively and urgently intervene to compel the parties to resolve the dispute through lawful, constructive dialogue.
Oyerinde cautioned that allowing disruptive actions to threaten the nation’s economic survival and sacrifice the recovering economy “on the altar of actions and pronouncements that are alien to global and local industrial relations practice” would endanger job creation and preservation, investment attraction, and national development.