Malaita provincial workers cry out for salary
BY GEORGE MANFORD
AUKI
MALAITA province’s direct employees yesterday flocked the Malaita provincial admin office demanding their payment.
The employees told Island Sun that no payment has been received since last fortnight.
“This is a regular occurrence and it is affecting our families especially when we are preparing our children to go back to school for school fees and other basic family needs.
“This shows mismanagement practices in the admin office which affects us and our salaries. We call on the National government including JANUS to audit all finances in the Malaita provincial head office.”
Employees also feel that the Malaita provincial administrative office needs a reshuffling of officers and new administration officers to manage the offices.
“We are suffering and this also affects our work in our offices and in our homes.”
They claim even the heads of department (HODs) have done nothing.
“There is no support from the administrative office since 2015 and our patience have ran out and we no longer have confidence in the Administrative office and the Malaita provincial government.
“We call on the national government to come down to Malaita province to investigate these issues with the Malaita Province’s Head of Departments.”
Provincial Secretary for Malaita province, Jackson Gege in response said that salaries for this month will depend on collected revenue.
He adds that they had made sure all salaries were paid last year before the financial closing of the provincial admin.
“Since the beginning of this year our business partners are yet to pay up their dues. At the moment we are dependent on our revenues to meet the salaries and other services while the province is waiting for the service grant. However, definitely our worker’s salaries will be fixed today.
“We apologise to our workers but this not our failure because revenue is slow in coming and the national government is also faced with economic crisis. The workers have the right to stage this short strike but I call for their patience and understanding of this situation and to be patient with the administration,” Gege said.
