Salima council staff protest over wages
Salima District Council employees yesterday downed tools in protest against the council’s failure to pay them their three month salaries.
The staff comprising security guards, cleaners, drivers and revenue collectors also threatened to seal the council offices if the council failed to pay them.
According to a letter dated February 4 2020, the disgruntled staff wrote the council secretariat asking it to remit the wages as well as salary increments dating back to five years.
Hoisting placards as well as tree branches, the staff peacefully marched to the council to present their petition.
One of the employees, who refused to disclose his identity, said they engaged the council secretariat on the issue, but nothing positive came out.
“We have decided to down tools to push them to give us our salaries and arrears and that is the only time we will go back to work,” he said.
Salima District Council spokesperson Grace Kapatuka said the council was aware of the development. She said the council was failing to generate enough revenue to sustain services and pay staff.
She said: “They have not been getting their salaries for the past three months. Traders from our markets are refusing to pay market fees since December and this has affected our revenue collection.”
But Kapatuka could not be drawn to explain why the traders are boycotting market fees.
A fortnight ago, traders blamed the council for failure to collect garbage from market.
Kapatuka added that the council needs about K8 million for the salaries of the employees, stressing that less than one million is being collected per month.
