GOVERNMENT OF ENUGU STATE
8th September 2011
Strike: NLC action uncalled for- Enugu Govt
The attention of the Enugu State Government has been drawn to the reports that the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) has ordered workers in the state to embark on an indefinite strike action over the implementation of the minimum wage. This is, to say the least, uncalled for and quite unfortunate.
It beats the imagination why the labour leaders should give such a directive even when it is on record that the Enugu State Government remains the only one in the geo-political zone to have fully complied with the implementation of the payment of the minimum wage. The implementation was reflected in the payment of the workers’ salaries for the month of August and this is verifiable.
As a matter of fact, Governor Sullivan Chime had even approved N18,500 as the minimum wage payable in the State. Furthermore, in the implementation of the minimum wage law, the salary of every civil servant in the state was also upwardly adjusted, just as the administration has paid the April to July arrears of the minimum wage. Therefore, the issue at stake cannot be about the payment of the minimum wage.
Government urges the workers to ignore such an ill-motivated directive by the NLC and continue with their duties because external forces acting out the scripts of people envious of the peace and progress in the state will not be allowed to dictate how we shall function as a state on a non-existent issue.
The Enugu State Government will continue to pay priority attention to the welfare of its workforce and that explains why it is the fourth state in the federation to have implemented the National Health Insurance Scheme. Government shall remain open to negotiation as a civilized way to resolving whatever grey areas with the workforce.
Chuks Ugwoke
Commissioner for Information
