Unity state authorities probe dismissal of ex-civil servants
October 7, 2013 (BENTIU) – The acting governor of South Sudan’s Unity state has instituted a committee to investigate circumstances under which thousands of civil servants were unlawfully dismissed in 2010.
The committee will mainly investigate why the ex-government employees were fired and reinstate them should it find that their dismissal contradicted existing labor laws.
On Monday, thousands of those affected lined up in Naivasha freedom square to submit their academic papers and resumes, three years after their names vanished from the payroll.
Dau told Sudan Tribune he was tasked by the governor to uncover the dismissal of thousands of the former government employees.
“Those who will [be] found to have been victimised without legal procedure….the committees will recommend for resumption of their duties”, said the minister.
Those dismissed based on the laws and regulations of civil servants will not be returned to their jobs, he added, citing cases of those dismissed for absenteeism.
EX-CIVIL SERVANTS SPEAK
Nyanong Mai, who lost his job in 2010 upon returning from the Sudanese capital, Khartoum, but was never compensated welcomed the governor’s move.
“I came here today with happiness because our sons in the government have called us back to the services of government. It is [a] government policy to dismiss us and to bring us back again. We have appreciated their decision and we thank God that they have called us back to duty”, said an excited Mai.
Minister Dau, however, said people like Mai and others, who worked with past governments, whether in Sudan or South Sudan, would duly receive their pension as per the law.
“There are also those employees or workers that had been victims specially those workers that had worked with [the] state government or former province for a number of years and had been screened out whether they were at the pensionable ages or not. They still have the right to get pension”, the committee head stressed.
Some of them had been victims and the committee will look into these categories of employees, Dau added.
Gatluak Dador, a dismissed former employee of the state legislative assembly, insisted that the former government violated the rights of its civil servants following their dismissal.
“We found ourselves as educated people dismissed anyhow yet we have all [the] requirements [for the jobs]. We were not happy at all”, Gatluak said.
Each of the affected civil servants is required to pay 50 South Sudanese Pounds (SSP) before their files can be processed by the committee.
Meanwhile, the specialised committee is expected to complete its work within two weeks after which their findings will be presented the state council of ministers’ extraordinary meeting for further action.
(ST)