Casual laborers in Mbale go 9 months without pay

Mbale, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Casual laborers in the newly elevated Mbale city are threatening to lay down their tools after going nine months without pay. The laborers say they last received payment in November last year.

The laborers earn between Shillings 90,000 and 120,000 monthly depending on the nature of their work. There are over 200 laborers deployed in various areas of Mbale city.

One of the casual laborers told URN on condition of anonymity that their pleas to the authorities to pay them have failed to yield results.

He explains that the town clerks have kept telling them to be patient saying they will be paid soon but nothing has happened.

Amos Wandada, a driver of a skip loader in Northern city division says his landlord has threatened to throw him out of his premises for failure to pay rent for the past nine months.

According to Wandada, he is facing hard time with his family since he is unable to buy food at home.

Aidah Nambozo, a sweeper long Naboa road in Industrial city division says the authorities should come out and explain to them about the delayed payment of their salaries or else they lay down their tools.

Sezi Mafabi, the Northern city division chairperson confirms the delayed payment of the casual workers owing to their failure to collect local revenue over a long period of time.

Martin Busiku, the Northern city division assistant town clerk blames the failure to pay the cleaners on the Covid-19 pandemic which affected local revenue collection.

He says the pandemic has paralyzed local revenue collections since business in places such as markets, shops, lodges and hotels among others were affected.

Musa Kassaja, the Mbale city local revenue collection chairperson says they expect to raise some money with the partial lifting of the lockdown, which has allowed some businesses to resume.

Government announced a nationwide lockdown in March 2020 to contain the spread of the Covid-19. The lockdown affected people in various sectors as they were required to close and stay home.

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URN