The Nigeria Employers’ Consultative Association (NECA) has said that organized businesses will do all that is legally permissible to protect enterprise sustainability, security of jobs and national development.
Its Director-General, Mr Adewale-Smatt Oyerinde, made this known in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Friday in Lagos.
“While we understand and note the current high cost of living, it is pertinent to state that there can only be jobs when enterprises are alive and sustainable.
“Between 2022-2023, organized businesses lost over one trillion naira cumulatively.
“Many businesses were shut down and others relocating to other climes; this makes the need for job security important, “ he said.
Oyerinde also spoke on the negotiation on a new minimum wage and the decision of organised labour.
The Director-General noted that in a negotiation that was tripartite or bipartite in nature, one party could not unilaterally dictate the timeline or the favourability of the outcome.
According to him, the timeline and favourability will be a joint decision between all parties, else, it will no longer be a negotiation.
“We hope that reason will prevail and the 100 per cent increase in the national minimum wage will be acceptable to organized labour, “ Oyerinde said.
He expressed concerns that the negotiation of the new national minimum wage had not taken due cognisance of critical parameters such as the need to protect jobs, productivity and ability to pay.
He said that while it was important to pay a wage commensurate with economic realities, the task of the tripartite committee was to negotiate a “minimum” wage, below which no employer, either in the private or public should pay.
“It is not a wage increase, neither is it a salary adjustment process, as being peddled, “ he said.
Meanwhile, the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC) have declared an indefinite strike to begin on June 3.
In a joint statement signed by NLC President, Mr Joe Ajaero and TUC President, Mr Festus Osifo, the centres declared the strike over the tripartite committee’s inability to agree on a new minimum wage and the hike in electricity tariff.
According to the labour leaders, the decision follows the expiration of an earlier request to the Federal Government to conclude all negotiations for a new minimum wage before May 31. (NAN)
