Ghost Employees Drain Moroccan Cities’ Coffers as Real Workers Left Uninsured

In Casablanca-Settat, Beni Mellal-Khénifra and Rabat-Salé-Kénitra, municipalities have paid annual work accident insurance contributions for employees who do not appear in any official register. The names of these employees appear on the lists of insured persons, but remain untraceable in the municipal personnel databases, according to sources at Hespress. Meanwhile, real employees exposed to real risks on a daily basis were left without coverage.

Ambulance drivers, slaughterhouse workers, gardeners or public lighting agents have performed their duties under often precarious conditions, without the slightest insurance. Some, victims of work accidents, had to file a complaint to obtain compensation. The courts ruled in their favor, ordering the municipalities to compensate them. These judgments weigh heavily on already fragile local budgets. Each year, several local authorities include a specific budget line to pay these indemnities, the same sources specify.

In the Casablanca-Settat region, audits have revealed that some elected officials and councilors benefited from advantageous insurance contracts, while field agents worked without protection. This situation reflects a total lack of control in the management of public expenditure and arrangements that escape any administrative follow-up. Yet, according to the law, municipalities must compulsorily insure their agents and members of their councils against accidents related to their duties.

The testimonies collected by the magistrates in charge of the audit shed light on the extent of the problem. Employees assigned to essential services such as cleaning, maintenance or health transport confirm that they have never had insurance, despite the daily dangers they face in the course of their work. Some have even traveled long distances under difficult conditions, without the slightest coverage in the event of an accident.