Low-wage workers are the most affected by the ongoing economic hardship that has increasingly seen the local South Sudan Pound depreciate against the U.S dollar, according to the South Sudan Workers Trade Union Federation.
Agasio Akol Arop, the Deputy Secretary General for South Sudan Workers Trade Union Federation, on Tuesday said majority of low-wage workers are struggling to have daily basic needs due to inflation.
“The challenges facing the workers are economic hardship due to inflation and rise in prices of goods and services in the market, low and delayed salaries of employees has led to problems in the families,” Arop said at a press conference held in Juba ahead of celebration of the International Labor Day.
International Labor Day is commemorated annually on May 1st.
Arop said most parents on low wages are finding it difficult to pay school fees, medical costs for their children, adding that the prevailing economic situation has caused conflicts and separation among families.
“Workers face transportation problem due to high cost of fuel such as petrol which is now around 3490 SSP per liter, random termination and dismissal of workers especially in private sector, sometimes without contracts signed between employers and employees,” he noted.
He disclosed that they have helped establish the national insurance fund to support employees in the private sector.
George Paul Baya, the Secretary General for South Sudan Workers Trade Union Federation, said that the government, employers association and workers trade union recently met and discussed measures to address the dire working condition of employees in the country.
“The economic situation is worsening, the dollar exchange rate is high, the money paid by organizations or companies cannot cover the basic needs of their employees,” Baya said.
“We came up with an idea that the lowest payment will be 11000 SSP per day, and that will be 33O, 000 SSP per month, the recent 400 percent salary increase for government employees is not able to cover the family needs,” he disclosed.
