Ebonyi State Governor, Francis Nwifuru has vowed to withhold salary of civil servants and also replace any worker that comply with the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) strike action.
Nwifuru stated this during a Live broadcast held at his office, government House Centenary City Abakaliki on Monday.
Recall that the NLC national leadership during the weekend had ordered Ebonyi and other states yet to comply with extant procedures based on collective bargaining and eventual implementation of the New National Minimum wage to begin a Seven Days warning strike.
But Governor Nwifuru who was angered by the strike action of Labour in the State after paying 75,000 minimum wage to workers in Grade level 1, 2 and 40,000 increment to Grade level 3 till 17, vowed that he will not only withheld their salary but also replace any worker who failed to be in the office in the next 72hours.
According to him, he has done so much for workers in the State and frown at the action taken by their leadership in the state.
His words “If you didn’t go to work. Not only that I will not pay you salary. But I will replace you within 72 hours in your office.
“If I didn’t see you in your office. As far as I am not guilty. I am not owing you. I am paying you what is supposed to be paid. And according to agreement and constitution I am not owing you. If you didn’t go to work within 72 hours I will replace you. And I have called the chairman civil service commission.
“I have directed all the commissioners to go to their offices. All the agencies, all the department of government must be in their office. And record the people that come to work.
“And that is the people I will pay through table payment. By the number of days you attend to your duty in your office. If you don’t want to come to work. You will forget about state government.”
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