The Nigeria Employers’ Consultative Association (NECA) has warned that the ongoing strike by the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) could backfire on workers by threatening jobs and scaring away investors.
NECA’s Director-General, Mr. Adewale-Smatt Oyerinde, gave the warning in a statement to journalists on Tuesday in Abuja, saying the strike, if not handled responsibly, could weaken the country’s fragile economic recovery and put the very workers unions’ claim to protect at risk.
Oyerinde acknowledged that trade unions had the right to protest and strike but stressed that such rights must be exercised within the law and without harming enterprises or long-term worker interests.
“Disputes should be resolved through statutory institutions like the Industrial Arbitration Panel (IAP) and the National Industrial Court of Nigeria (NICN),” he said.
He cautioned that disrupting lawful business operations or coercing unwilling parties contradicted international labour conventions and posed serious threats to national security. According to him, “Nigeria’s fragile economic recovery should not be endangered by reckless industrial actions.”
The NECA boss reaffirmed the association’s support for global labour standards and decent work but insisted that these did not legitimise sabotage, coercion, or economic harm by unions. He urged the Minister of Labour and Employment and other authorities to intervene swiftly, warning that delays could damage job creation, investment inflows, and overall economic stability.
