BOR – Intrepid South Sudan, a civil society organization in Jonglei State, has conducted a workshop to sensitize public and private sector workforce on labor rights and labor education.
The forum drew participants from various workers unions, including representatives of all state Government Ministries, Director of Labour in the Ministry of Labour and Public Service, Teachers’ Union, Nurse’s Union, Doctors’ Union, Fisheries Union, Boat Union, Civil Society, Media, among other public and private workers Union members.
South Sudanese civil servants face immense challenges, the top of which is low wages and delayed payments.
While it appears on paper that the government allocates a large portion of the fiscal year budget on public sector wages, individual salaries remain low, and a disproportionate amount is allocated to security-related positions.
According to the organization’s executive director, Bol Deng Bol, participants discussed labor rights and labor education, common objectives of Workers Unions, and challenges facing Jonglei State Workers Union, and existing opportunities to mitigate the challenges.
They raised many concerns including delay in payment of salaries, where the government is yet to pay them over a year and half in arears.
Others are what they call politicization of civil service employment system, depreciating value of South Sudan pound, perpetually soaring inflation, intimidating and targeting of the workers trade union members.
