A major construction enterprise has been permanently banned from bidding for new projects in Nanjing, eastern China's Jiangsu Province, following an incident in which a construction worker's arm was chopped off by a hired thug for demanding overdue wages.

The city government summoned an emergency meeting on Monday evening stating that the China Construction Fifth Engineering Bureau, including its Jiangsu branch and other companies, will be prohibited from accepting construction projects in Nanjing City. The enterprise is a subsidiary of the China State Construction Engineering Corporation (CSCEC).

The incident took place at a construction site contracted by the Jiangsu company in Lishui County last Wednesday. He Chengbo, a foreman, had gone to the project authority to negotiate payment of the wages for his fellow workers to be taken home for the upcoming Spring Festival. Instead of getting their wages paid, He was hit by a gang of hired hands armed with machetes and spears. Upon hearing the news, Wang Chao, another foreman, went to the scene to learn about He's situation, but was chased and had his left arm hacked off.

The Modern Express newspaper reports on Tuesday the hit man who cut off Wang's arm has surrendered to the police, and several other accomplices have been detained, but four suspects remain at large. Further investigations are still underway.

The Jiangsu company is believed to have owed back wages totaling 10 million yuan, or about 1.38 million US dollars, to about 2,000 construction workers. The company was ordered to distribute the wages by the end of this Friday. So far, about 3.19 million yuan of the sum has been paid to the construction workers.

Wang Chao has received an arm replantation operation at a military hospital. Doctors said they are unsure about how well he would regain his hand functions. They said that he would inevitably suffer some level of impairment.

(CRI January 22, 2008)