Refuse collectors block main road in Kaduna protesting non-payment of salaries

Refuse collectors in Barnawa, Kaduna South local government area of Kaduna State on Wednesday expressed their anger against their employer over the non-payment of their salaries by blocking the main road in the area with heaps of refuse that interrupted the free flow of traffic.

Assistant Youth leader, Barnawa ward 2, Mr. Bala Onaja, told DAILY POST that for the past five months, they had not been paid by their employer.

He explained that in June this year, the state government handed them over to a private company, stressing that they were only paid for two months and that out of the two months paid, not all of them benefited from the payment.

Onaja added that most of his colleagues were disengaged, leaving only 50 of them to do the same quantity of work they were doing before the reduction of the workforce.

The youth leader added that they were not getting their salaries as at when due before the sacking of their colleagues, pointing out that even when their colleagues were laid off, nothing was paid to them, thereby worsening their situation.

He explained, “With the sacking of our colleagues, nothing has change in terms of paying our salaries in spite of the few of us that were retained. As I am talking to you, we are being indebted for months.”

Onaja confessed that when they were under the state government, they had little or no problem getting their salaries but immediately the private company took over, they kept on working for months without anything to take home in order to cater for their families.

He appealed to the company to ensure prompt payment of their outstanding salaries, pointing out that they were presently suffering from hunger and tiredness without any motivation to encourage them to put in their best in what they are doing.

“We are appealing to Governor El-Rufai to immediately come to our aid by directing the company to pay us. Sallah is by the corner, we have nothing to give to our families neither can we feed them nor take care of them in other areas of need.

“We are also calling on governor El-Rufai to be careful with some people that are giving him bad advice because they do not have the interest of the party and Kaduna State at heart,” the youth leader observed.

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