Tue, 25 Apr 2017 10:08:21 +0000
EX – POST WORKERS CRY TO GOVERNMENT TO…
By NATION REPORTER
FORMER workers at the liquidated Post Newspaper have expressed shock at the revelations that their ex-boss Fred M’membe awarded himself a hefty salary of US$100.00o net or K1.5 Billion at one stage per month while they went without salaries for months.
They wondered how Mr M’Membe could award himself a monthly salary of US$100,000 when they literally lived a hand-to-mouth life as he pretended that the company was facing financial challenges.
They were further appalled that the US$100.00o was paid net of taxes by the Post while all other workers paid much less were made to pay tax.
In addition, gratuity at 35 percent was also paid with the taxes being paid by the post.
They have since called on the government to set up a commission of inquiry to find out where Mr M’membe was taking the millions when he failed to pay statutory taxes to the Zambia Revenue Authority (ZRA).
“This man has a heart made of stone because how can he pay himself that of kind money when we as workers got very little and sometimes we went for months without salaries,
“Just what kind of man is Fred who had no feelings for his workers? We want the government to set up a commission of inquiry to get to the bottom of this matter,”” one of the affected workers said.
They wondered how Mr M’Membe could award himself that money whereas some of the workers got as little as K1, 00o per month and taxes remained unpaid. They said it was imperative for government to establish the source of that money and where Mr M’membe took it because it was obvious he never kept it in Zambia for obvious reasons.
“Here is a man who pretended that the company was facing financial difficulties yet secretly he was pocketing a monthly salary of US$100,000. At the same he was failing to pay taxes to government through ZRA. This is the worst scandal and crime,” they said
They said apart from that, Mr M’membe failed to honour other statutory obligations such as Pay As You Earn (PAYE)
Mr M’membe was also reported to have been entitled to US$10,000 annual holiday allowance, 35 per cent gratuity per year and 5 percent earnings from net profits.
He was also entitled to fully furnished accommodation, education allowance for all his children while the company also provided him with domestic servants and home security, all paid by the Post newspaper.
