Jonglei civil servants celebrate Christmas with “fat wallets”

Members of Jonglei State Workers Trade Union and state civil servants celebrated Christmas with fat wallets after receiving their salaries.

After dispatching the high-level team to carry out investigations into the stalemate last week, the government signed an agreement with the state government and the Workers Trade Union for salaries to be paid in the full amount of 100 per cent increment approved by President Kiir.

The civil servants revealed that they started receiving salaries on December 24, after which the payment was paused due to the closure of government offices.

In an interview with the City Review, Samuel Majier, the Secretary-General of Jonglei State Workers Trade Union, said they had received salaries in July 2021 and were contented with the payment.

“We have all received our salaries but if there are people who did not receive their salaries, it is only delayed due to Christmas. As a workers trade union, we are going to write an official letter to officially call off the strike and to appreciate the government. We are comfortable with the payment,” he said.

He added that the payment for August 2021 could be done today as they organise to call off the strike officially.

The civil servants had been demanding the 100 per cent salary increment, the “new teachers’ allowance” and “chalk allowance”, as well as the “infection allowance” for the medical staff for nearly a month.

Salaries approved

The salaries were agreed to be paid after they blocked the road to the airport in Bor Town, thus paralysing access to the town.

The delegation from the national Ministry of Public Service and Human Resource Development last week agreed that the adjusted salaries should be paid in a week alongside the “nature of work allowance.”

However, the nature of work allowance was agreed to be paid through local revenue by the state government irrespective of the shortage of money cited by the state government.

“It was collectively agreed that (there should be) immediate payment of all civil servants’ salaries, multiplied by two based on 100 per cent presidential salary increases to quickly be effected,” read the statement.

“The state government is to pay nature of work allowance from local revenue within seven days from the date of this resolution. Without delay to the implementation of this message order, you are all directed to act accordingly as soon as possible,” the statement added.

The civil servants warned that the payment should be made before December 27 for the agreement to be honoured.

“We have been in the meeting for two days now and finally reached an agreement today (Wednesday). The resolution meets our needs, but we told them that we should be paid from December 27. If this is not done, the agreement is dishonoured, and we shall resume peaceful demonstrations,” Majier said.

The committee was dispatched under the auspices of President Kiir to dig out why the salaries were not paid and other reasons behind demonstrations.