The Nigeria Employers’ Consultative Association (NECA) has condemned
the planned strike by the organised labour following the hike in pump
price of petrol.
The organisation also expressed its full support
for the partial deregulation of the downstream sector of the oil and gas
industry.
NECA said that the policy was a crucial first step in
the resolution of the perennial dependence of Nigeria on imported
petroleum products.
Speaking in Lagos, the Director General, Mr.
Olusegun Oshinowo, praised the federal government for the courage it has
demonstrated, which past administrations had unwittingly shied away
from, by embracing a policy option that will jump start significant
reform in the downstream sector that would impact positively on the
economy both in the short and long terms.
He said as key actors in
the economy, and participants at various committees of the government
in the past on the subject at stake, NECA deplored the usual resort of
organised labour to threat of strike to impose its position even when
such would be to the long term detriment of the economy as we have seen
over the year with the subsidy regime.
The Director General: “One
stakeholder’s interest should not loom larger than several other
stakeholders’ and should not be pushed through an illegal strike on an
issue outside the primary mandate of the custodian of the interest.
He added: “Government’s policy on oil and gas is not an employment
and labour issue, and should not be a basis for a national strike.
Organised labour should instead focus on how to improve the welfare of
its members through wage discussion and related matters.”
Speaking
further, Oshinowo enjoined employees in the private sector to ignore
any directive from NLC/ TUC and go about their normal duties.” He
reminded workers to understand that “it is in the interest of both the
employer and workers to ensure and sustain business survival as their
wages are not dependent on government’s budgetary appropriation or
monthly allocation as any involvement in such a strike will certainly
imperil their job and income security, particularly at a very difficult
time like this. ’’Beyond applying the law of no work ‘no work, no pay’,
employers will take strong exception at any employee that fails to
report for work as from Wednesday.”
Oshinowo appealed to the
federal government and heads of the various security agencies to ensure
that adequate security is put in place for workers to commute between
their homes and different places of work.
’’We once again appeal
to the generality of Nigerians to shun any call by Organised Labour to
shut down our economy. This is one strike we can least afford’’, NECA
declared.
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