The national ministry of petroleum and the Dar Petroleum Operating Company (DPOC) have agreed to implement the Unified Human Resources Policy Manual (UHRPM 2020), a source revealed. 

The national staff employed by the Dar Petroleum Operating Company (DPOC) mid this month suspended their strike demanding the immediate implementation of the Unified Human Resources Policy Manual (UHRPM 2020) after negotiations started. 

In February, South Sudan’s petroleum ministry and the oil sector’s joint operating companies signed a deal to harmonize and implement a unified human resource policy manual that provides for the processing of national workers' salaries, allowances, and others.

A national employee who preferred anonymity told Radio Tamazuj on Tuesday that the petroleum ministry had informed them that they had reached an agreement with DPOC to implement the human resources policy this month.

"The company and the ministry were in negotiations during the past two weeks and signed an agreement on May 17 to implement the demands of the national workers related to salary adjustment and payment of financial arrears," the employee revealed.

"The Minister of Petroleum held a meeting with representatives of the national workers of the Dar Petroleum Operations Company and explained about the new agreement, and wrote a letter to the company to start the process of implementing the 2020 human resources policy," the employee added. 

The employee claimed that the agreement called for the payment of all salary arrears by the end of this month. 

National staff in the oil sector have in the last couple of years protested what they termed unfair variances in pay between local and foreign workers.