BY BEN BILUA
Gizo
Employees of China Railway Construction Engineering Group Co Ltd (CRCEG) working at the Rotui mining operation have expressed frustration over delays in the payment of their salaries.
Reports received by Island Sun indicate that workers have not received their wages on schedule, with some claiming they have been waiting for more than a week without any clear explanation from the company.
“It has been over a week now and our salaries are yet to be paid. There was no explanation and we don’t know the reason for the delay,” one employee told Island Sun.
Another worker said the delay has created financial difficulties for families and affected relationships with local businesses that rely on timely payments.
“The delay has caused disagreements within families and with businesses because many workers depend on their salaries to meet daily needs,” the employee said.
Responding to the allegations, China Railway acknowledged the delay and explained that wages were initially scheduled to be released on Saturday, June 6.
According to the company, the Rotui project is currently under urgent operational requirements to complete vessel loading activities, and management feared that releasing wages before the completion of the shipment could affect manpower availability.
The company stated that previous experiences showed some workers consumed alcohol after receiving wages and failed to report for duty, resulting in disruptions to project operations.
“Therefore, the project management has decided to release the wages immediately after the vessel loading is completed, which is tomorrow afternoon,” the company said in a statement.
The company also cited logistical challenges, explaining that payroll processing is conducted in Honiara and depends on the weekly schedule of Uta Prince Shipping, which operates only once every Friday.
This has contributed to delays in transporting payroll documents and completing administrative requirements.
China Railway assured workers that all wage payments will be made no later than June 12.
While acknowledging the inconvenience caused, the company said measures have already been implemented to improve payroll processing and communication procedures to prevent similar delays in the future.
China Railway thanks its workers for their patience and cooperation as it seeks to balance operational demands with the timely payment of wages.
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