The Joint Action Committee (JAC) of Muster Roll Workers’ Unions on Tuesday held an emergency meeting to discuss the non-payment of wages to muster roll workers employed under the Public Health Engineering (PHE) Department and the Public Works Department (PWD).
According to the JAC, workers under the PHE Department have not received their salaries for the months of April and May, while those employed under the PWD Roads and PWD Buildings divisions are yet to receive wages for March, April and May.
Speaking to reporters after the meeting, JAC adviser K.L. Pariat alleged that the delay stemmed from the failure of the concerned departments to implement instructions issued by the Finance Department.
Pariat said the Finance Department had directed all government departments to implement an order issued in June 2020. However, the JAC claimed that both the PHE and PWD departments had failed to comply with the directive, resulting in the withholding of funds meant for muster roll workers.
He further informed that the JAC has already submitted representations to the Chief Engineers of both the PHE Department and PWD (Roads and Buildings), urging them to immediately release the pending salaries.
The workers’ body has demanded that all outstanding wages be paid within the month of June and has also called on the departments to strictly implement the government’s directives to prevent similar delays in the future.
The JAC warned that prolonged delays in salary payments are causing significant hardship for workers and their families, many of whom depend entirely on their monthly wages for survival.
