Finance Ministry staff stage strike over job cuts: “We have families to take care of, bills and rent to pay”
Hundreds of civil servants at the finance ministry are on strike over mass job cuts. The historic strike – only the second by civil servants in recent history – comes after President Abdulla Yameen insisted on the dismissals, arguing the Maldivian civil service is overstaffed.
22 Dec 2015, 9:00 AM
Hundreds of civil servants at the finance ministry are on strike over mass job cuts. Protesting staff say they have no choice but to strike after discussions with the Civil Service Commission on Monday ended without a resolution.
The historic strike – only the second by civil servants in recent history – comes after President Abdulla Yameen insisted on making the dismissals, saying the Maldivian civil service is overstaffed.
“Last week, I had to do something I did not like. Last week, there had to be changes to many positions in the Ministry of Finance… I apologetically say, I find ministry of finance to be staffed with many highly skilled employees. But if you look at their input, I believe they are better utilized elsewhere.”
The ministry’s top civil servant, Ismail Ali Manik, resigned last week when he was ordered to sack more than 70 staff.
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