Hundreds of workers of a road construction company in Aweil town in South Sudan’s Northern Bahr el Ghazal state are demanding payment of their salaries after the company allegedly refused to pay them. They are also accusing the owner of the company of using force in order to deny them their rights.
The employees of Africa Kongdai Company for Road Construction and Bridges say that a protest they held in April to demand for their salaries was broken up by force. They also allege links between the company owner and top officials in the state.
Africa Kongdai is a South Sudanese company owned by Lual Aguer who hails from Northern Bahr el Ghazal state. The company reportedly employed 484 people, most of whom are South Sudanese nationals while several were foreigners.
Speaking to Radio Tamazuj on Monday, the chairman of Africa Kongdai Company Workers’ Union El Sadiq Riing Mawien said that they have gone unpaid for almost four months up till now.
He said, “We were hoping to be paid by the employer Mr. Lual Aguer in April, unfortunately, after he came, he immediately ordered the police to open fire on us, claiming that the protesters destroyed assets of the company.”
“But we did not destroy anything, because we are responsible people and workers,” he said. “In addition to that, the majority of the administrators in the company – Workers Affairs Manager, Project Director, and even the security and police were on our side, they were standing with us,” he claimed.
Riing pointed out that none of the workers was killed or wounded during protests except one person was hurt while escaping the bullets.
The angry workers’ representative urged the government in Juba and the national Ministry of Roads and Bridges to look into their grievances and hold the employer accountable.
He also accused some influential people in Northern Bahr el Ghazal state of complicity in what happened to them: “You know, the state security advisor, deputy governor and mayor of Aweil town as well as a Member of National Parliament called Jacob Dau were involved in the incident of using force against the workers.”
He further revealed they raised a complaint against Lual Aguer to the state ministry of labour and public services, but have not received any positive response so far.
The chairman of the union claimed to be representing 468 workers of the company who are demanding for their rights.