President Salva Kiir has said the government was fully aware of the problems and challenges of the workers in South Sudan.
“I pay tribute to our gallant workers both in the public and private sector who work tirelessly despite difficult conditions including high inflation as well as the ongoing months without pay owing to our economic situation that came about as a result of this senseless war,” the president said in his message on the eve of Labour Day, observed across the world on May 1.
Kiir said the government makes all-out efforts to protect the labour rights in the country, pointing about that the government would operationalize its pension fund for retirees.
“The day is an occasion to reflect on the contribution of labour force towards economic development of our country,” he said.
Separately, several labourarers complained through Radio Tamazuj about their poor conditions across the country, pointing out that government employees have gone unpaid for more than six months.
The head of the Workers' Union in Wau State, Sadiq Al-Tahib Ali, said workers in Wau State were doing their jobs despite the difficulties facing them in the state.
Ali urged the Ministry of Finance to raise the salaries of workers due to high inflation in the country.
Meanwhile, the director of finance at the state government secretariat in Northern Upper Nile, Kur Luak said the government had offered training opportunities to its employees despite economic challenges.
In Awiel Sate, a government employee called James Akol said the economic situation is very difficult, especially that salaries were not paid. He pointed to soaring prices of essential commodities at the market, while calling on the government to care about its people.