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NEW MINIMUM WAGE: NECA begs Labour to suspend planned nationwide strike

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The Nigeria Employers Consultative Association (NECA) on Thursday urged the organised labour to cancel its plan to embark on nationwide strike over failure of the Federal Government to reach an agreement on the consequential adjustment of the National Minimum Wage.

It advised organised labour to explore other means of ensuring the Federal Government concurs to their request than going on strike.

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The Director-General of the association, Timothy Olawale, made the statement during a visit to Minister of Labour and Employment, Senator Chris Ngige and the Minister of State, Festus Keyamo, in Abuja.

In a statement by the ministry’s Deputy Director of Press and Public Relations, Charles Akpan, the NECA boss also recommended that labour should allow the National Industrial Court (NIC) adjudicate the matter, if the tripartite dialogue failed.

His words: “If dialogue or negotiation fails irretrievably, though it is an unlikely event, but let’s even assume we get to that point, downing tools is not the next course of action.

“In the worst scenario, because you think the ministry is a party to the disagreement and it can’t subject you to mediation (because you can’t be a judge in your own case) and you don’t have faith in Industrial Arbitration Panel because it is still supervised by the ministry.

“As a matter of fact, it is the minister that will refer it to IAP, approach the National Industrial Court then, to adjudicate on the matter. Whatever the outcome is, all parties have to abide by it.

“It is a veritable way out, instead of embarking on an industrial action.

“We have to get to a stage in our development where we have to test our processes, where we don’t just have laws on the pages of newspapers but rather allow them to be the process to guide our actions and the way we do things.

“I hope this matter is resolved and doesn’t lead to an industrial action on October 17.”

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