NAIRA: NLC mandates workers to commence strike over crisis

NLC President, Joe Ajaero, said economic activities will be shut down across the nation effective next Wednesday.

Beginning the next week, all employees are to demonstrate against the nation’s present cash shortage at all Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) offices nationwide, according to the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC).

Joe Ajaero, the president of the NLC, briefed journalists in Abuja and stated that while the nationwide economic shutdown will start on Wednesday, mobilization for the exercise will start on Friday.

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The Federal Government was given a seven-day deadline by the NLC to take quick action to mitigate the effects of the cash constraint and fuel shortage situation, or face labor unrest from Nigerian workers.

Ajaero said the industrial action became the last resolve of the Congress, having urged the Federal Government through different channels to take into consideration the severe hardship workers and Nigerian citizens are experiencing because of the persistent cash scarcity.

The NLC President also lamented that despite the Supreme Court order that the old N200, N500 and N1000 notes remain legal tender until December 31, 2023, the situation kept getting worse.

“Last week, we gave an ultimatum for the review of the cash crunch bedevilling the country, but we have discovered to our dismay that as at this moment not much effort has been made to ameliorate the situation. Government is still foot-dragging on these issues we raised,” Ajaero said.

“Based on this, we met again this morning to review our position and resolved that by Wednesday next week all CBN branches will be picketed. Workers are directed to stay at home too because people cannot eat, workers can no longer go to the office, we have been pushed to the wall.

“We have decided to take our destiny in our hands, we have mobilised our workers on this exercise.”

ENIGERIA NEWSPAPER