Enugu State Governor Sullivan Chime? has said? that all the public servants who participated in the last industrial action in the state over implementation of minimum wage? would forfeit their September 2011 salaries.
Speaking to journalists in Enugu yesterday, Chime said that the workers had no reason to embark on strike, and? insisted that his government had fully implemented the N18,000 minimum wage as required by? law.
The governor explained that he was compelled to stop the labour leaders because they were bent on de- stabilising the peace in the state and added that? the labour leaders were out to sabotage the state government.
He lamented that the labour leaders stormed Enugu to protest over minimum wage despite the fact that? the state government had implemented minimum wage even beyond the provisions of the law.
The governor said, “we implemented the minimum wage Act in full compliance with the provisions of the law. The Act is so simple that you don’t need to be a lawyer to understand it and so we paid our workers fully even before any of the states in the south-east and most of the states in the country.
?“Curiously, what we got in return was that the national leaders of the NLC, the TUC or whatever they are called took our workers for a ride and made our workers to go on strike.
?“Of course, we tried stopping them when they came to hold that rally. As the Chief security officer of the State, I have the right to stop any rally that will cause the breach of the peace and that is what we wanted to do.
“Unfortunately, they saw themselves as heroes. Some TV stations did not help matters as they were showing them and claiming? that they were being held hostage.
Commenting on the deplorable condition of Federal Government Roads in the South East, Chime said that the governors of the zone had been appealing to the federal government to? assist them in that regard with a view to alleviating the suffering of the people.
?“I am as sad as yourself seeing the bad conditions of our roads, look at Enugu- Onitsha road. While they are working on it, the other areas would be failing. We cannot embark on big projects on federal roads because of lack of resources”,he stated.
