adminMidlands Reporter
SHURUGWI Town Council employees had little to celebrate on May Day after going for four months without pay.
The workers claim that they last received their salaries in December last year.Most of the disgruntled workers who spoke to Chronicle accused council management of being insensitive to their plight.
“We are really suffering because since January we have not received any salaries to date and yet we still have to pay rentals, bills and school fees. We are now in debt and surviving from hand to mouth because of the prevailing situation,” said one of the workers who declined to be named for fear of victimisation.
Another worker expressed disappointment at the manner council management had kept them in the dark with regards to their salaries.
He said nothing is being communicated to the workers as to when they are going to receive their dues.
He said: “Since the time we have gone without our salaries our superiors have not given any explanation as to what is going on or when we can expect our money. The situation is demotivating and at times we are forced to engage in other activities to make ends meets”.
The plight of Shurugwi workers is synonymous with other local authorities across the country who have also gone for months without receiving their salaries.
Council town secretary Solomon Siziba, however, rubbished the reports claiming that the workers were exaggerating and blowing things out of proportion.
“That our employees have not been paid for four months is not true but the fact of the matter is at times we have experienced delays in paying salaries because of cash flow challenges, a situation which is prevalent in the economy but we have no salary backlog to write home about,” he said.
Siziba said council workers had started to receive their April salaries on Wednesday while the rest should be paid before the end of next week.
Online Reporter