Suspended parliamentary workers cry foul
The 10 parliamentary support staff who were suspended over salary dispute have lamented the move, terming it arbitrary.
The staff were slapped with a three-month suspension following last week’s ‘strike’ over delayed salary.
Simon Akot, one of the leaders of the Parliamentary Workers’ Welfare, said the decision to suspend them was taken without giving the aggrieved workers a chance to defend themselves.
Early last week, police intervened to restore order at the parliament after a section of the support staff staged a go-slow strike. The workers were demanding close to five-month salary arrears, as narrated.
“The Speaker and the Clerk of the Assembly were away, but when they came, the clerk offered the 12 (of us) an suspension letter,” Akot told the City Review via phone.
On June 6, tens of parliamentary workers protested the delayed payment of their dues. The ensuing fight forced the deputy speaker of the Transitional National Legislative Assembly (TNLA) to call for security apparatus to the parliament building. Though the workers later returned to work the following day, a few were sent on a three-month unpaid leave, according to a letter signed by the Clerk of the National Assembly.
The clerk, Makuc Makuc Nong, wrote to each of the striking staff on June 14, asking them to explain why they went on strike on June 6. The City Review understands that the worker responded to the letter as a group. And while they were expecting to appear before a panel to defend their responses, they were sent home for 90 days without pay.
“After we had responded (to the letter), we were expecting them to call us for a meeting to know exactly what that day was. For us, that was not a strike. But to our surprise, we got the suspension letter for three months without pay, “added Akot, who claims to have worked at Parliament for the last 16 years.
“What type of administration is this? We were expecting them to have called us first to know the cause [our problems] but we were not given time to explain ourselves. We see this one as an arbitrary suspension because they have not heard anything from us. “
Head of the Parliamentary Workers Union, Yoane Wala Juma, expressed disappointment with the casual manner in which the matter was handled adding that she expected the Speaker – Jemma Nunu to handle the matter amicably, once she returned from a strip outside the country.
“I am at home as I speak to you now. We were told that we should not enter inside the fence of the parliament.
“We were surprised with the suspension. We are being suspended from work for three months without pay!” he scorned.
There are more than 500 support staff working for various departments of the National Legislative Assembly in Juba.
