The strike by council workers is spreading to more provinces as Solwezi Municipal Council Unionized workers joined their colleagues from Livingstone,Mansa,Chipata,Mkushi,Kalulushi in strike action.The council workers last week went on a sit in protest demanding for their August and September monthly arrears.
Local Authorities workers across the country have not been paid for two months.
Some sources at the municipal council said the local authority workers have been paying themselves money meant for service delivery but this has gone too far.
“We cannot continue like this can you imagine we are using money meant for service delivery to pay our selves” the source said in an interview.
Zambia United Local Authority workers Union Zulawu Solwezi branch chairperson Simon Mtayachalo in an interview said the municipal council workers have gone on a sit in protest to attract governments attention.
“We are calling on government to give us our September and August salaries” mtayachalo said.
But the Zambia Congress of trade Union in the province says it against the idea of work stoppages.
Provincial coordinator Kameya Manjomba said in as much are the local authority workers concerns are justifiable going on a sit in protest should be a last decision to make.
Mr Manjomba said the work stoppages will lead to a dirty township as most of the garbage will remain uncollected.
On Thursday 87 unionized workers at the Municipal Council of Mansa downed tools. Zambia United Local Authorities Workers Union (ZULAWU) Mansa branch chairman, Ben Nshenda, has confirmed the development .
Flanked by other union leaders, Mr Nshenda said the decision to down tools had the full blessings of the ZULAWU national executive committee (NEC).
“Our members have vowed not to return to work until their demands are met. We have been very patient for a long time but all the promises from Government have not been fulfilled,” he said.
ZULAWU general secretary Kingsley Zulu, said in a press statement that the workers actions should not be misconstrued as political because they had endured enough.
“Our members gave persevered for a long enough and as NEC, we stand by them for any industrial action they will deem appropriate to take,” he said.
There is need to suspend certain travel expensives, acquisition of entitlement vehicles, allowances, etc to help in cutting down spending by govt…these have to be paid…
…..expenses…
ZCTU doesn’t represent the interest of the workers. It looks like its in collaboration with BOMA. It has lost the sting it had under Chiluba.
How can they transfer funds from services to salaries without the approval of the central government? Funds sent to councils must be used for their intended purposes. High time to fire all nutty councillors promoting abuses of public funds.
It is sad how some people on this blog don’t understand issues of local governance. Please read the local government act then you will understand why workers are striking. Don’t pass comments which don’t have content.
This means our government has run out funds. This is very serious indeed. Where do we go from here? Are they going to start printing money to pay the staff? Can I remind you of the hyperinflation that happened in Zimbabwe? This is extremely worrisome.
Nalikwebele tabulwapo.
Council workers are not employed by the government, councils should start firing workers if they do not have money to pay them!
It is high time Zambian councils are run like business ventures and CEO’s running them. Most Zambian councils fail to meet the basic standards of service delivery on garbage collection, road maintenance, water service delivery ,sewer services and even street lighting but they expect people to pay for non- delivery of services. Most councils in the country are in trouble because the MMD took away the only thing councils all over the world use to generate funds and help them to pay the wage bill— Housing rentals! Councils are supposed to be self reliant and self governing not to depend on central government. What happened to By-laws?