CHIPATA City Council is considering surrendering some of its workers to the Local Government Service Commission because it has failed to settle their six months’ salary arrears. Mayor Sinoya Mwale said the council only had 179 workers before it attained city status three years ago. Mr Mwale said the workforce has now reached 407.

He said the council is struggling to pay salaries, hence its plan to surrender some of the workers to the Local Government Service Commission. Mr Mwale was speaking at a media briefing yesterday where he gave an update on resolutions of the council meeting held recently. The workers have not been paid their salaries for about six months.

“I think that those posted to Chipata since January this year will be surrendered back to the Local Government Service Commission,” he said. Mr Mwale said most employees sent to Chipata went on study leave before they could start offering services to the people. He said the council is overwhelmed with a bloated workforce, and has little office space