THE about 320 Indeni Refinery workers who were declared redundant in June this year will be paid their full benefits before the end of this month.
This follows completion of an audit sanctioned by Secretary to the Treasury Felix Nkulukusa to verify the bills to be paid to the employees.
National Union of Transport and Allied Workers (NUTAW) president Kingsley Kachenjela says the team of auditors, who started the verification process early this month, finished in about 10 days.
Mr Kachenjela said in an interview yesterday that the auditors, who were in Ndola recently, have since submitted a comprehensive report to the Secretary to the Treasury.
This is in the wake of anxiety and panic among some Indeni Oil Refinery employees who have been querying union leaders on whether Government will fulfil its commitment to pay the redundancy packages.
In January this year, Minister of Finance and National Planning Situmbeko Musokotwane visited the oil refinery firm and assured workers that they would be paid their redundancy packages soon after the official redundancy date of June 30.
Mr Kachenjela said all the 318 employees who have been declared
redundant are expected to be paid their full benefits before the end of this month.
“We are expecting that Government will anytime release money before the end of this month and pay everyone.” he said.
He urged workers at the company to be calm and commended them for being patient during the process.
Mr Kachenjela also hailed the team of auditors for completing the verification process in good time.
“They (auditors) were initially supposed to complete the verification process in 15 days, then they reduced it to 10 days, but they did it in less than 10 days, which is commendable,” he said.
All employees will get their benefits in full in conformity with the law, and the company has continued paying them salaries until their terminal benefits are cleared.
About 50 percent of the workforce has been working after oil refinery plant was placed on care and maintenance.
