500 casual labourers protest unpaid wages

Over 500 employees of Modern Terrace Construction, in Mwurile Sector of Rwamagana District, yesterday, protested delay in the payment of their wages. The workers camped at the sector offices when they found their bank accounts empty, after 90 days of work without pay. The arrears have accumulated to Rwf11 million supposed to come from the Ministry of Finance. Hundreds of furious workers who talked to this paper claimed that their families were starving. “Imagine spending 90 days without a single coin, when you have children. My son was sent away from school because I couldn’t pay Rwf 24,000…he is now at home. ‘‘I am in state of hopelessness, just a financial destitute, yet I worked for three months,” Chrizostome Uwihanganye said. The workers were employed by the district to control soil degradation by applying modern farming methods. Jeanne Mujawamariya, another employee, said she was surprised, when a SACCO official told her there was no money on her account. “I have never been disappointed in such a way…the sector and district leaders have been giving us empty promises for long. We went to the bank to withdraw money but, there was no money. Our children are going on empty stomachs. We are tired, we will not leave this office and the leaders will not enter until they pay us,” Mujawamariya said. The system of terraces was started under the land consolidation programme in the country, where specific type of crops would be grown. Farmers were thus advised to forego the traditional crops and embrace large-scale growing of selected crops. According to Innocent Ukizuru, the district agriculture officer, who was one of the officials overseeing the construction of terraces, the programme was meant to create employment as well as increase food productivity. He, however, explained that the wage delays were due to routine procedures. “In two to three days they will be paid…our officials are negotiating with National Bank of Rwanda (BNR) to pay them. They did a great job on seventeen hectares…I don’t see why they shouldn’t be paid in time. The delays were probably in BNR or routine financial procedures. And they are regrettable,” he said. editorial@newtimes.co.rw

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500 casual labourers protest unpaid wages