24/12/2025
WHO IS TO BLAME?
Private Sector Workers Caught in the Middle as Salary Delays Bite
Scores of employees across the private sector have raised concern over delayed or unpaid salaries, a situation they attribute to their employers’ ongoing contracts with government, which they claim have not yet been paid.
The affected workers say their companies are heavily reliant on government payments to meet operational costs, including wages. As a result, when payments from government are delayed, employees become the immediate casualties—despite having rendered their services in full.
This has sparked a growing debate on accountability: should the burden fall on government for delayed settlements, or on private companies for failing to plan, reserve, or protect employee wages regardless of payment cycles?
Labour experts argue that while delayed government payments place pressure on contractors, employers remain legally obligated to pay workers on time. Employees, they say, should not be used as “shock absorbers” for cash-flow challenges between the state and private entities.
On the other hand, contractors warn that prolonged non-payment by government undermines business sustainability, forcing difficult choices that ultimately affect workers.
As the cost of living continues to rise, affected employees are calling for urgent intervention, clearer payment timelines, and stronger enforcement of labour protections to ensure that workers are not left unpaid for months over disputes beyond their control.
The situation highlights a systemic problem that demands accountability, transparency, and reform—because when government and contractors delay, it is ordinary workers who pay the highest price.
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