Chagor vows to meet civil servants’ demand

The Workers’ Trade Union (WTU) in Jonglei State has confirmed that the state government has promised to pay the full salaries of the civil servants.

In an interview with The City Review yesterday, Samuel Majier, the Secretary-General of the Union, said they were waiting for the governor to fulfil his promise.

He said through the Director of National Security in the state, they were able to talk directly with Governor Denay Jock Chagor on Tuesday in a telephone conversation.

 “We are now waiting for our full payment from the ministry of finance. If they fail to pay us, we shall return to the Director of National Security (in the state) to tell us the way forward, ” he explained.

According to the civil rights activist in the state, who is also the Executive Director of Intrepid South Sudan, Bol Deng Bol, the workers have the right to demand full salaries.

Bol said there were no more demonstrations right now because they had been promised full payment by the governor on Tuesday.

He added that the possible fear is that when the salaries are paid without the allowances, that would trigger another fresh demonstration.

Governor wanted back

The civil servants on Monday called for the governor to return to the state to settle their full salaries and allowances, which they claimed were being denied by state authorities.

They gave the governor 48 hours to appear in the state as they refused to honour any agreement with the other government officials.

The workers were demanding a 100 per cent salary structure, approved by President Salva Kiir during his address on the 10^th anniversary of the independence celebration.

Majier earlier vowed that the peaceful demonstrations would continue until their needs are met by the state government.

 “We have now resolved for the governor to come back and assure us of full payment and allowances. We want to agree with the governor, not anybody else, ” Majier said.

“The allowance we are claiming is called the nature of work allowance, which is added on top of the 100 per cent salary,’’ he added.

Call for demonstrations

Last week, the WTU announced peaceful demonstrations for civil servants to demand that the president approve their 100 per cent incentives.

The union released a statement indicating that the salaries had been modified by the state government to suit their interests. They complained that they were being denied their civil rights.

“We reject the modified salary structure by the state government (as) we immediately lay down our tools,’’ the statement read in part.

 “These actions will go on until the state government sees the need to meet the 100 per cent increment of civil servants’ salaries in accordance with the new structure and the state Ministry of Public Service endorsement through the new payroll,” it further stated.

The acting governor of Jonglei State, Tuong Majok Deng, said the salaries were gross, and some taxes need to be levied for the net salaries to be paid.

 “My concern as the acting governor of Jonglei state is that there are allowances which have not been in the system of Jonglei since 2005 called “nature allowances.” It is not there to be added to the salary, it was introduced by the new state government,” Tuong said.