Manufacturers flay Labour over production disruptions

By Franklin Alli

MANUFACTURERS have kicked against incessant disruption to their productions by leaders of organised labour, saying: “Labour picketing is making us to run at a loss.”

Some of the manufacturers voiced out their anger over the issue at the annual general meeting of the Chemical and Non-Metallic Products Employer’s Federation, CANMPEF, held in Lagos.

Reacting to the issue, Dr. Frank Udemba Jacobs, President, Manufacturers Association of Nigeria, MAN, noted that conventionally, labour disputes usually occur from time to time and the standard practice is for management to proactively minimize their occurrence and ensure prompt resolution whenever they occur.

He said, “It expedient to state here that the operations of MAN sectors are structured in a manner that they are allowed to resolve labour disputes first on their own and where the process fails, then MAN would intervene when duly notified.  However, I believe that what is paramount in managing labour disputes is the ability of parties involved to agree on a sustainable resolution along the line of economic reality to ensure that none of the parties is worse-off.”

Chief Devakumar Edwin, President of Chemical and Non-Metallic Products Employer’s Federation, CANMPEF, however, said: ‘The Federation experienced harmonious industrial relations with National Union of Foot Wear, Rubber, Leather and Non-Metallic Products Employees (NUCFRLANMPE) and Chemical and Non-Metallic Products Senior Staff Association (CANMPSSA), and other industrial sectors.

According to him, the substantive agreement with NUCFRLANMPE expired on November 30, 2016 and negotiations had commenced for a new agreement.

However, Dr. Biodun Adedipe, Chief Consultant of Biodun Adedipe Associates Limited, a firm of Financial and Management Consultants, who was the guest speaker at the event, called for consultation and dialogue between manufacturers and labour.

“If the employer is unable to do any business, there is no way he will reward labour. Like I said in my presentation, you cannot give what you don’t have; if manufacturers can’t do business, they can’t pay salary. So, it’s in labour’s interest to ensure their demands and grievances are resolved amicably,” he said.

Efforts to get the position of leaders of labourunions on the issue proved abortive as none of them responded to Vanguard enquiry.

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