By CHARLES IWUOHA

The Imo State chapter of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) has called on the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) to call off the nationwide strike scheduled to start from Monday.

The CAN chairman, Reverend Eches Divine, made this appeal while speaking to newsmen in Owerri, about the nationwide strike by NLC.

He expressed fear that such a move could collapse the economy of the country, urging the federal government and the NLC to return back to the negotiating table and look at what are enforceable demands.

“Joe Ajaero, the NLC President, is from my state, Imo. Can Mr. Ajaero honestly say that Imo State or any other State Government in South East can pay a minimum wage of ₦494,000 without collapsing?

“Even the organised private sector cannot pay that amount and has publicly aligned with the government to say let’s start somewhere and grow steadily. Does Joe Ajaero want to collapse the Nigerian economy? If not, why is he making impossible demands? Even his friends that we know that owned businesses cannot and have never paid any of their staff ₦400,000.

“Does Mr. Ajaero want the Federal Government to push for a new minimum wage law that is unenforceable by all tiers of government and the organised private sector?

“He wants the minimum wage to increase by 1500 per cent. Has Nigeria’s revenue expanded by 1500 per cent? Does he want us to suffer Venezuelan and Zimbabwean style of hyperinflation?

“What will a national strike achieve if not national strife?”

“Mr. Ajaero has called more strikes than the last four Presidents of the Nigerian Labour Congress combined. Something is wrong somewhere. If we are fighting for workers, let us fight with love for country and mature reasoning. Any wrong fight could sabotage the economy and make things worse for the workers and nation as a whole.

“I, therefore, wish to appeal to NLC leadership and the Federal Government to return to dialogue with an open and honest mind to avert any damage to our already fragile economy,” he said.

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