KALOMO FRA MAIZE LOADERS PROTEST NON-PAYMENT OF SALARIES

By Martin Mashekwa, ZANIS Kalomo

SCORES of the Food Reserve Agency (FRA) casual workers this week trooped to the Kalomo district administration to air their grievance over their pending two months’ arrears.

Both provincial and local FRA officials confirmed that over 300 loaders are owed money and stated that their issue is being looked at with their dues to be sorted out by this week.

The loaders and off-loaders of the maize grain being supplied by the Government to the Agency to ensure that relief food and community sales are in place in the local storage sheds, threatened to stop work if their May, June, and July dues are not paid to them.

“This is a small amount; we are paid a K1 per bag and imagine it takes two months for us to get this money. We get our living from this and moreover if we want to stop we are threatened with dismissals, we are asking for protection while asking for our dues,” pleaded one group supervisor who declined to be named for fear of being fired or disciplined.

District Commissioner Joshua Sikaduli has however advised the casual workers to continue with their work as the Agency is committed to sorting out their grievances.