Mekelle: 14 May 2024 (Tigray Herald)
Tigray Public Servants in Dire Straits as Services Remain Crippled!
Over 17 months have passed since the Pretoria Agreement supposedly ended the suspension of basicservices in Tigray. However, a crucial barrier to their full resumption remains: the human element.Civil servantsservice institution workers continue to struggle. Unpaid salaries and the burdenof accumulated debt prevent them from properly functioning.
Despite persistent calls, the Ethiopian government has not released salaries withheld from Tigrayancivil servants duringwar. This impacts tens, if not hundreds, of thousands of workers across theregion. Both regional and federal employees are owed a minimum of one year’s salary, with some.like Ethio-telecom staff, waiting for 18 months of back pay. Teachers, healthcare workers (includingdoctors and nurses), and university professors are all facing similar hardships, with unpaid salariesranging from 12 to 17 months.
The combination of unpaid wages and crippling inflation creates an impossible situation for these vitalservice providers. This directly hinders the proper resumptionessential services, particularly inthe social sector.
Therefore,urge the international communitypressure the Ethiopian government to fulfill itscommitments under the Pretoria Agreementthe Constitution. This includes releasing the withheldsalaries of civil servants, teachers, professors, doctors, nurses, and all those who continue to striveto provide services despite unfulfilled promises.
May 13, 2024
Salsay Weyane Tigray
Mekelle, Tigray
