The Leader of INRI Evangelical Spiritual Church, Primate Elijah Ayodele has described the request of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) to peg minimum wage for workers at N494,000 as unrealistic.
In a statement signed by his media aide, Osho Oluwatosin, Primate Ayodele noted that the NLC is wasting time with the request because the highest the government can go comfortably is N60,000.
He stated that NLC's request is unachievable and unrealistic because ordinarily, any increase in salaries will also lead to increase in inflation and cost of living therefore, the more the salary, the higher the inflation.
Speaking on the planned nationwide strike of the NLC, Primate Ayodele advised the union not to embark on strike because it won't make the government give them what they want.
''The NLC is only wasting time with the request for N494,000 as minimum wage, the highest the federal government can do is N60,000. As a matter of fact, increment of salary will lead to increase in inflation and cost of living. Labour is only dreaming with the proposal, it's not realistic and can't be achieved.''
''I would advise them to water down on the strike, it won't make the government give them what they are asking for except if they want to be deceived. In the Nigeria of today, N494,000 as minimum wage isn't realistic, it would only push Nigeria into recession.''
He also admonished the union to fight for prompt payment of salaries and other amenities that will add value to their salaries instead of requesting for things that are not achievable.
''Instead of fighting for something that isn't realistic, Labour should be fighting for prompt payment of salaries and better amenities that will add value to their salaries.''
Furthermore, Primate Ayodele averred that any governor that says he will be paying N70,000 as minimum wage is just doing so because of politics. He asserted that such a government will continue to borrow money to pay salaries and when it becomes too much to maintain, the N70,000 wage would crash.
He admonished NLC not to allow any government politicize salary structure because it will cause more problems in future. He also called on the government to plan properly before concluding in order to avoid more problems in Nigeria's economy.
''Also, I want to add that any governor that says he will be paying N70,000 as minimum wage is just doing so because of politics, it's not sustainable because such a government will continue to borrow money to pay salaries, it won't last long at all. Labour should allow any governor use salary structure to play politics with them, the state will end up suffering for it.''
''Government must plan properly before concluding to avoid more problems for the country's economic situation which is already not palatable.''
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