Maluku playground in Mbale where the district prepared for the May 1st, Labor Day celebrations was almost vacant as civil servants boycotted the function.
Save for the members of the security services and prison service who had a duty to entertain the guests, a handful of civil servants turned up for the functions leaving district leaders in total shock.
Most of the chairs provided for the celebrants remained empty until the end of the event that was commemorated under the theme “Promoting employment through enhancing public infrastructure investment.”
One of the officials at Mbale District Local Government revealed that they intentionally boycotted the event in protest against delayed payments for April salaries.
“How do we celebrate International Labour day when there is no salary on our accounts?” he asked. Another worker said that the celebrations meant nothing for him since he earns a peanut that also comes late. On request for anonymity for fear of being singled for victimization, the officer said that there was no way he could put on his suites to celebrate the Labor Day when his children are at home because of lacking money for Holiday coaching.
In his speech during the celebrations, the Worker’s Representative, Martin Walela, said that although people were celebrating Worker’s Day, the employees of Mbale district hadn’t received their salaries. He said the problem of delayed payment of salaries was no longer a secret because it is a huge challenge for civil servants in the area.
He said it was only fair for the Worker’s to celebrate with money in their pockets. Walela also called upon government to protect the rights of unskilled laborers like house maids, who he said still earn peanuts. He disclosed that most of the house maids earn between Shs20,000 and 40,000 monthly, which is too little for a person with a future to make.
The Mbale District LC V Chairperson, Bernard Mujansi who spoke at the same event didn’t mention anything about the delayed payment of the worker’s salaries. He instead noted that government has tried to improve the quality of workers by providing Universal Primary and Secondary Education.
Our reporter was unable to get a comment from the Chief Administrative Officer about the delayed payment of workers under Mbale District Local Government.
It is however said that prior to the labor day celebrations, the civil servants verbally informed the CAO and the LC5 of their intended boycott to the day but they took it for a joke.
