Civil servants demand timely payment of salary, eyes fulfilment of govt. promise
In February, Vice President for Economic Cluster, Dr. Benjamin Bol Mel promised that government would embark on timely payment of civil servants’ salaries, consistently from the 24th March
By Aguok Chok
A section of civil servants have expressed optimism that the Vice President, Dr. Benjamin Bol Mel will fulfill his promise of timely payment of salaries, and that the government will remit their payments by the 24th of every month as was promised by Dr. Bol Mel during his swearing in ceremony.
“I am pleased to announced that starting this March; salaries will be disbursed consistently on the 24th day of every month,” said Dr. Mel, clarifying that the move is an essential step towards ensuring public service delivery, administrative efficiency, and economic reforms.
However, some civil servants, such as Joseph Lual Dario, the Chairperson of the Academic Staff of the University of Bahr el-Ghazal, says civil servants have increasingly become vocal about the prolonged delay in salary payments.
According to Lual, the workers have reached a breaking point.
For instance, at the University, he said, the staff have been on strike since July 2024 due to unpaid salaries and have not had any positive response.
“We are still on strike, and the university is shut down completely,” Lual stated.
“The life of staff and workers at the university is miserable. It feels like we are not professionals anymore because we can’t even take care of our basic needs.”
Lual further said that despite the ongoing strike, they were optimistic that the Vice President, Dr. Benjamin Bol Mel would fulfill his promise of timely payment of salaries.
“We were hoping that this would happen, and if it does, we would lift the strike and let students return. But if he does not pay the salaries, then it means that he decides that we remain closed, not ours (decision).”
The workers’ union of Bahr el-Ghazal University and the Workers Trade Union Federation is set to meet on April 7, to evaluate whether to continue the strike or not.
“If the government clears the arrears and pays at least six months of overdue salaries, we will consider lifting the strike and allow students to return,” Lual added.
However, he cautioned that a partial payment system, where workers receive one month’s salary at a time, would not be accepted.
“That idea will not be accepted by everyone here. We need the salaries to be paid on time and the arrears cleared,” he emphasized.
Besides salary concerns, Lual expressed the need for medical payment and flight tickets for staff, which he said have been ignored for years.
According to him, the situation has severely affected staff morale and their ability to provide essential services.
Lual noted that some of the staff members have left their jobs due to the financial strains.
“Some of our staff members have quit their jobs, and others are unable to work due to the severe economic hardship,” he said.
“This is the situation we are in now, and we are hoping that His Excellency (Dr. Bol Mel) will fulfill the promise he made. It should not just be a political statement; it should be real work.”
The issue of unpaid salaries has also affected workers across the country.
Pasquale Michael Apai, the Secretary for Foreign Affairs in the South Sudan Workers’ Trade Union Federation, added his voice to the concerns, acknowledging that the Vice President’s promise to pay salaries monthly was a positive initiative.
“The initiative to pay civil servants on the 24th of every month is a good one. However, in the past, we have seen cases where everything is prepared, and yet, salaries are not paid,” Apai said.
He further explained that the economy’s reliance on oil revenues has been a significant factor in the delays, though there has been some improvement.
“The situation has improved, and we are hopeful that this time, salaries will be paid as promised,” he stated.
“We are also pushing for a timetable to clear all arrears. If this happens, we will continue to support the reform agenda and push for a better economic system.”
The delays in salary payments have had broader economic consequences, said Apai.
“The delay has destroyed individuals’ plans, families, and even the education and health systems. People are unable to pay for treatments, and businesses are struggling because there is no money circulating in the economy,” he said.
He also highlighted the impact of the lack of cash in banks, which has added to the financial chaos.
“There is no cash available in the banks, and this is creating a huge problem. People are storing cash at home, which makes them vulnerable to theft,” Apai warned.
The leaders emphasized the importance of fulfilling the promises made by the government.
“Our conditions have deteriorated. We are not asking for too much—just the payment of the salaries and clearance of the arrears,” Lual urged.
