THE labour movement in Monze district has rejected the 11 per cent salary increment offered to civil servants by government.
The unions in the district also warned of stern action national union leaders who would append their signatures on the aggreement for eleven per cent pay rise.
This came to light during a meeting for all civil servants organized by Zambia National Congress of Trade Unions ZCTU, CSAWUZ, SESTUZ, BETUZ, ZNUT and other unions held at Monze Basic School yesterday.[quote]
Civil servants from various government departments said in their resolutions that government must consider giving them at least a minimum of twenty five per cent increment.
They said eleven per cent wage rise was a mockery as it would not improve their livelihoods in any way in the face of escalating commodity prices.
It was also resolved that the union leaders at national level must ensure that housing allowance is equally revised to k450,000 because the current rate of k200,000 was too little for a civil servant to acquire decent accommodation.
Speaking at the same meeting, CSAWUZ regional secretary for southern province, Gift Hazyondo, said government must realize that civil servants were implementers of its policies and needed to be motivated by offering them better conditions of work.
Mr.Hazyondo said negotiations were supposed to commence, earlier, before the national budget was presented before parliament for the year 2009.
He said this would have been the best time to go into negotiations for next year so that by the time budget presentation is done; all the issues concerning salary increments and other conditions of service would have been concluded.
Mr.Hazyondo was also disappointed with the current crop pf civil servants for being ignorant of their right to better conditions of services.
He said unions must consider providing education to its members in order to enable them fight for their rightful demands.
Meanwhile Southern province chairman for SESTUZ, Collins Malambo, has castigated union leaders at national level for handling negotiations without considering the interest of the workers.
Mr. Malambo said unions were suppose to remind government that negotiations were suppose to be held before the national budget was presented.
He said this was devastating because negotiations carried out after budget has already been presented always resulted into unions signing for the percentage offered by government.
Mr. Malambo said union leaders at national level were not doing their best to serve unionized civil servants.
He said the union in Zambia was becoming weak due to divisions caused by government through establishment of many unions affiliated to the mother body ZCTU.
Mr. Malambo said there was need for union to unite if negotiations for better conditions of services for civil servants were to be achieved.
He also called on all civil servants to become proactive in fighting for their rights of better conditions of services.
[ZANIS]
Though 11% sounds like an insult, its better than what I got (0%). Any way fight hard and am wishing you all the best though I know the excuse. CREDIT CRUNCH….
Imwe na imwe, 11% is better than nothing…..fight for a greater percentage next time.. this time around there is a global recession…..
In the end they will end up with nothing but an”Arschtritt” (German word for …. never mind!).
Great stuff coming from the mighty Southern Province once again as always. I am of the view that the sentiments that have been outlined herein a superb.
I will comment on “Civil servants from various government departments said in their resolutions that government must consider giving them at least a minimum of twenty five per cent increment only. This 20% is better considering that the Constitutional office bearers of which President RB Banda is part got 15% increments last year as President RB Banda’s first thing of signing when he just became Zambian President. In light of this and the fact that Constitutional Officers get far much much better salaries and allowances compared to civil servants, government must consider bridging the big divide as all buy from same shops.
lets not always blame global crunch.we have always had these problems na imwe.