HH says govt is broke, cannot pay workers’ salaries

UPND Leader Hakainde Hichilema

UPND Leader Hakainde Hichilema has charged that Government is broke and cannot pay current salaries for civil servants.

Mr Hichilema says it is illegal for government to fail to pay civil servants on time, and has since demanded that government pays civil servants now.

Mr Hichilema in a statement says a government that leads in abusing workers has no moral standing to call on private companies and individuals to honour their obligations.

He says civil servants have now resorted to borrowing money from unsafe sources just to meet their day to day needs.

Mr Hichilema says the PF government is paying debts as opposed to paying salaries to workers that are putting in so much.

He reminds government that the civil service is the largest employer in the country with over 400,000 workers, and that each time government does not pay its workers, approximately K2.5 billion is siphoned out of the economy, heavily affecting traders in the markets and chain stores.