Government has called for a consultative meeting with the Zambia Congress of Trade Union (ZCTU) and all the ten public service unions following calls for protests by ZCTU (the union mother body) over the wage freeze and recruitment in the civil service.
Finance Minister Alexander Chikwanda recently announced a two year wage and recruitment freeze in the public service from 2014-2015 when he unveiled the 2014 national budget.
Secretary to the Cabinet Roland Msiska said the meeting is scheduled for Monday 28th October 2013 and will be held at the Government Complex starting at 14:30hours.
Dr Msiska said the calls for protests are clearly premature and unjustified as government has undertaken to resolve concerns related over structural distortions in the current salary structures in the public sector.
He said in a statement made available to ZANIS in Lusaka today that government has been enjoying a harmonious relation with all public service unions.
Dr Msiska said the state is stunned by calls for protests by some union leaders, especially that this is only the second year in the implementation of the 10-year Integrated Competitive Remuneration Strategy which was approved by Cabinet and agreed to by all the Public Service Unions through the collective bargaining process.
He said the Integrated Competitive Remuneration Strategy seeks to remove structural distortions for public workers in the three arms of government.
The Secretary to the Cabinet said that in relation to the wage freeze and net recruitment for 2014, government will continue with the recruitments and replacements for positions that fall vacant due to retirements, resignations, death and dismissals.
He said government has further given Treasury Authority for the recruitment of nine hundred and fifty two (952) health personnel under the Ministry of Community Development, Mother and Child Health.
Dr Msiska has therefore appealed to the public service unions to follow the due process.
ZANIS
Sure
When was there a hiring galore in Zambia?
We need new blood in the UNIONS. These are the same hands that were feeding with LEVY, RB and now Sata.
I thought it was clearly said positions slatted and budgeted for and allocated will be field including those resigning,dying and leaving and any structural employees that may be needed to run gov.
Then the wages will be inflation linked indexed to insulate against the inflationary effect.It was not an outlight freeze
We have a lot to do and work towards one economic goal.Unions should see that ultimately it working for all employees and them selves
actually, the GRZ should stratify the salaries for diploma and certificate holders in GRZ other than bunching them together, as it currently exists. secondly, there should be a clear distinction btn the salaries of general workers and those of professionals other than the nonsense prevailing. Thirdly, the freeze is not practical bcoz the economy is very unstable
Is PF gvt recognising the value of education? Hw do they place diploma into same scale with certificate holders? CDEs who are not even proffesionals getting the same salary with profesinals? Can u mark these differences otherwise the call for strikes is genuine.
What they telling you is that they do not need you. Pack and leave.let the CDEs do and train farmers and issue fertilizers.
Surely how can u call this hamonisation when my basic is 600 difference with a CDE. i got a diploma but a phamarcist with degree in health or a health inspector from counsil with diploma is gettin 6000 PLUS while my basic is twice as theirz.
Country men & women
U know why HE. Sata pays diploma & certificate holders almost at par with CDEs?
Considers how many years he spent at college I mean just 6 MONTHS & he became a policeman (ZP Zabwino Palibe)
What else should we expect from a man who spent only 6 months in college homestly?
Can the listening Government distinguish the professionals from CDEs, and Diploma from certificate holders please. This is not something that needs a critical debate. We the Degree holders feel our neighbors in qualifications have been mistreated by government in the recent salary increments. VIVA PF!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!2016!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! the listening government!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Unionist are smiling that here comes again their pockets will be filled with brown evelops and come bak smart to the poor Civil servant to fee the heat! Corrupt, foolish, selfish, rubbish unionists. Unionism went with FTJ & Lawrence Katilungu not the Hikaumbas, Chiyobes, Mukoshas, Yonganas ubsolutely rubbish corrupt chaps!
ZCTU & othet unions, yu know what works workers want. Workers expect positive results not to fatten yo pockets. Think about pipo yu ar representing.
@kuichaila marchy
Just state your point, bringing in the filth you are talking about. we all begin with humble backgrounds but only ichipuba like you gets rooted to that for the rest of your useless life. What the man has achieved in his you ll never have.
What education did your father have? Did he go beyond office orderly work.stop the nonsense
the problem pf has created for itself is whoever talks they jump up to please. Pipo used to say sata was a dictator, the opposite is what has happened. Too many pipo talking too mant times GRZ is jumping up.
thats where they missed it. Well articulated @ observer
this my suggetion
since CDE is now getting 3000 net
professionals begining with certificate holders should get 4000 net
Diploma holders 5000 net
Higher Diploma 6000 net
first degree 7000 net etc
Its about the JE and structural issues I am sure it must have been anticipated to harmonise
its a cost of restructure but talking and discussing to see will be more effective than strikes because that way the issues will not be seen
Govt should learn not to impose conditions of service but consult the unions first. Now this calling for a meeting should have been done before the threat of protest.
I hope the unions are prepared for this meeting and have all their members complaints at hand.
If I may ask, this government does not employ pipo with higher qualifications such as Masters and PhDS? if they are hired what is the salary scale for such civil servants?
Carring a data base of all salaried employees and differences to harmonise will be more logical than simply presenting grievances across.A case by case will be more effective than generalizing to ensure resolution.
There is a nice ddacc and payroll and administration sytem being run opposite RDA with good people.
Its a good information system ultilise it and resolve rather than striking
i ve never seen a disorganised govt..like this one..lol……….kekekekekee
We are waiting for the implementation of the proposed pay according to qualifications. This is the only way education can be encouraged. Not the situation where the un educated continue to boast about how the Degree holders have lost their money and time to obtain their qualification. PF kindly reward us we have suffered several times if education is to be encouraged.