Kinshasa, October 18th, 2026 (CPA).- A firm strike notice, with a deadline set for October 20, 2026, has been issued to the provincial government of Kinshasa, in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), to pay salary arrears owed to City Hall staff, the president of a trade union organization told CPA on Saturday.
“A general assembly of officials and employees from the various urban divisions and financial services was held on the premises housing the urban public services, with the main objective of assessing the situation regarding salary arrears owed to urban staff, as well as the administrative regularization of newly recruited employees. Following the discussions, we decided to give the provincial government a firm strike notice, with a deadline set for October 20th, 2026,” said David Luyeye, president of the Inter-Union Body of Kinshasa’s Urban Public Administration. Mr. Luyeye denounced the accumulation of salary arrears, which reportedly amount to 20, 15 and 13 months, depending on the staff categories concerned. “We expect concrete solutions to our demands before that date. Otherwise, all activities of the services concerned risk being brought to a standstill,” he added. Mr. Luyeye said they had also expressed concern over the failure to regularize the administrative status of newly recruited employees.
The general assembly also addressed the physical verification and identification of staff. “On this matter, clarifications were provided regarding reports alleging that certain employees had been removed following the operation. The 3,400 people mentioned are those who remain eligible after verification. The physical verification exercise was primarily intended to establish the actual existence of employees receiving salaries in Kinshasa,” he said. It was specified that, at this stage, no active employee had been barred from working following the operation. “The approach now being considered is to examine each case individually in order to identify employees who are actually at work but are not being paid,” the president of the Inter-Union Body said. He also called for measures to ensure that unpaid employees receive their salaries, expressing hope that their files would be reviewed and appropriate solutions found. “Remuneration remains a priority. Our rights must be respected, given the role we play in the functioning of urban public services and in mobilizing revenue for the city of Kinshasa,” Mr. Luyeye stressed. He therefore called on the competent authorities to take urgent measures to clear salary arrears, regularize the administrative status of newly recruited employees and provide concrete answers to staff concerns. ACP/