December 3: Employees of the Drukonnet Business Services in Thimphu are once again complaining that they are not getting paid. They have once again approached the Ministry of Labour and Human Resources.

This is the second time this year that employees are approaching the Labour and Human Resources Ministry for help. In June this year, when they approached the ministry, the employees had not been paid for several months. Drukonnet promised to pay the accumulated salaries and promised that similar problems will not happen again.

In a letter drafted to the Minster of Labour and Human Resources, the employees said they were lured back with the promise that their dues will be paid within three weeks. They said Drukonnet also promised to pay their salaries on time. They said they were never paid in full even once. Broke and with no salary at the end of the month, they said they are going through difficult times. Many, they said are surviving on a single meal a day. Sometimes they go hungry unable to afford even that. Many have not paid their rents for months and everyday they play cat and mouse game with their landlords.

The Ministry of Labour and Human Resources said poor management and embezzlement of money in the company are the root cause of the problem. Lyonpo Dorji Wangdi said the absence of a contract agreement between the employer and the employee is also a problem.

When the issue came to the ministry in June this year, it intervened and paid a nominal stipend to the employees for one month. The employees are hoping that the ministry will once again come to their rescue. They said they have been visiting the Ministry of Labour and Human Resource for over a week in the hope of a solution.

The Project Manager of the Drukonnet Business Services, Tashi Choki Dorji says the company has incurred a loss of around Nu. 5 million over the past two months due to below average performance by the employees. Because of this, he said the company couldn’t pay full salaries to the employees. He said the employees also lack work ethic and punctuality.

Unlike in the past, he said the company has works to do but they need quality people to perform them. Tashi Choki Dorji said their salaries will be paid in full but the company is downsizing the human resource and retain only the best.

The employees said they have already worked for a long time with the company and they have not been given any prior notification about the company’s decision to downsize the human resource.