Ex-Government Complex workers sue State for K25M in unpaid benefits

By GRACE CHAILE

A GROUP of 30 former general workers who were employed in the construction of Government Complex in Lusaka has sued the State, demanding K25 million in unpaid terminal benefits, salary arrears, and accrued interest.
Mr Charles Mumba, and 29 others, filed the action in the Lusaka High Court against the Attorney General.
The plaintiffs stated that they were employed by the Government through the then Ministry of Works and Supply (now the Ministry of Infrastructure, Housing and Urban Development) as general workers specifically for the construction of the Government Complex building.
According to a letter dated October 25, 2016, and signed by the then Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Works and Supply, the plaintiffs were declared redundant effective January 31, 2017, in line with Personnel Division Circular No. B.19 of 1984.
The redundancy notice acknowledged that the plaintiffs were entitled to several terminal benefits, including two months’ basic pay for each completed year of service, repatriation allowance, accrued leave pay, and NAPSA benefits.
The letter indicated that although government had tried to absorb all workers whose employment had been regularised by December 31, 2015, it was unable to retain the plaintiffs due to limited available positions in government ministries and departments.
Subsequent correspondence from the Government confirmed the amount owed to the plaintiffs as K5, 065,633. However, despite the passage of over seven years, the State had neither paid nor committed to paying the outstanding amounts.
The ex-workers said they had made several efforts to recover their dues, including engaging the office of the Labour Commissioner, which also confirmed Government’s obligation to pay. These efforts, however, yielded no results.
On May 22, 2025, the plaintiffs, through their advocates, wrote to the Permanent Secretary (Economic Management and Finance) at the Ministry of Finance and National Planning demanding the payment of K25 million. This amount includes the original K5 million plus accrued interest, inflation adjustments, and compensation for the prolonged loss of income.
They argued that the continued non-payment had caused significant financial hardship, deprivation, and emotional distress.