Enugu — CIVIL servants in Enugu State are to hold rallies on Thursday August 8 and Friday, August 9 to press home their demands for the full implementation of the new minimum wage by the state government.

The rallies would hold at the Workers Square at the State secretariat Complex at 9 am daily to achieve the desired result of improving the conditions of service of workers through a living wage.

A statement signed by comrade (Mrs.) Anthonia Chime, Acting State Secretary, Nigeria Labour Congress,NLC, Enugu State Council and Comrade Igbokwe Chukwuma Igbokwe, State Secretary of the Trade Union Congress (TUC) Enugu State Council said the National President of NLC, Comrade Abdul Waheed Omar and TUC National President, Comrade Peter Esele would lead national officers of all industrial unions in the country to Enugu.

According to the release the rallies tagged "Mother of all Rallies" would be attended by civil servants, teachers, bank workers, factory workers, members of road transport workers, electricity workers among other.

They explained that the rallies are in compliance with the directive of the National Executive councils of NLC and TUC, to press for full implementation of the new minimum wage in the state.

The statement announced that the two weeks ultimatum issued by the national leadership of NLC and TUC expired midnight of Wednesday, September 7, without the government showing any signal to implement the new minimum wage across the board.

Wednesday some offices in the state secretariat were closed while those that were opened workers were seen outside in groups discussing their fate and the coming rallies.

Our correspondent gathered that some union officials went from office to office and chased away workers who were found on their duty posts and many who could not shut down their offices milled around outside.

In his reaction, the State Commissioner for Information, Mr. Chuks Ugwoke insisted that the state government has paid the new minimum wage as stated in the law as no worker in its employ currently earns below N18,000.

Ugwoke appealed to the union not to give the world the impression that the state government is adamant or at war with the unions rather the government is willing and ready to dialogue with the workers to find a common ground that would be acceptable to both sides.