The Zambia Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU) has demanded that government lifts the imposed wage freeze and halts the ongoing pension reforms immediately or face unspecified action.
ZCTU president Leonard Hikaumba has told a media briefing this morning that government should also engage all stakeholders both in the public and private sector institutions to reach consensus on the current outstanding issues.
Mr.Hikaumba says the labour movement stands ready to demand and initiate for an urgent dialogue with government and social partners to agree on the way toward.
He explains that if government does not meet the demands of the labour movement, action will be taken without delay.
M r Hikaumba states the wage freeze on civil servants should be reversed because it abrogates the right to free collective bargaining as enshrined in industrial and labour relations Act Cap 269 of the laws of Zambia.
Mr. Hikaumba has also stressed that the labour movement is also concerned with the continued tax evasion and the absence of equity in tax collection.
He says it is in this regard that they demand for immediate tax reforms in order to ensure equity in tax collection which will lead to increased tax revenue especially from economically productive sectors such as mining.
Meanwhile, the ZCTU President says if the amnesty given to the dismissed nurses is genuine, the nurses should be reinstated unconditionally without asking them to reapply.
Mr. Hikaumba has however commended government for the amnesty granted to the dismissed nurses who went on an illegal strike last year.
Away from this topic, there has been a lot of tribal sentiments from most bloggers. I remember my mother’s best friend(from Samfya) had a loci as the best friend. They used to help each other in times of lack. They would give each other mealie meal in case one doesn’t have. Some times I would sleep at my mother’s Lozi’s friend when she is away. They were like sisters. Bemba and Lozi hand in hand. I am looking forward to such days. May God put a stop to this tribal nonsense. We are one. Only God is above all. May God show us the way. Pastors and peace loving citizens let’s pray for our country so that every tribe will embrace one another. No Bemba no tonga no lozi no senga no Timbuktu but one tribe under God despite different dialects. Peace to Zambia
BBC,
Good wishes. GOD to help us that way of unity in diversity. To help ourselves we sort-out to causers of trbalisms, PF and Mmembe.
No it is not PF and membe but everyone. See how UPND is, full of Tongas. Look at Shakafuswa’s hatred for Bembas. All of us are wrong in some way and not PF and membe. Why did HH say that only a Tonga can take over UPND? Am not PF but look at ministers who are not bembas in PF: Simuusa, Bob Sichinga, Wina, Kabimba, Chenda, Lungu, Phiri, Katema, Siamunene, Guy Scott, namulambe etc as ministers. There is a lot I can men’s ion but have time. I know all their tribes.
My dear i am Lozi and married to a Bemba woman for 11 years now. i have lived in peace with her and her family and they are so close to my distant relatives and my relatives are so close to the distant relatives of my wife. There is no need to fight over these things. who chose to be born in a particular tribe? those perpetrating tribalism are missing the mark, they are not facing reality. A small clique of over zealous individuals in every tribe tend to spoil the peace of the majority that are not interested in these tribal issues.
Wages will be determined bu capacity to pay. When government applies a wage freeze, then it is wrong for a trade union to destabilize economic, industrial and financial systems to gain political mileage. Threats will not achieve progress but defensive negotiation.
When the wage freeze is applied selectively, then the decree is null and void ab initio. Similarly, when a heft wage increase is applied toa certain group with inside knowledge and then apply the wage freeze, this smacks of bad faith. What I am alluding to is the wage increase the politicians handed themselves and then immediately imposed a wage freeze on civil servants, this sends out the wrong message. A messag ethat we are not in it together.
Time for Sata to give himself his FOURTH PAY INCREASE!
And double his wifes unbudgeted unconstitutional payment from the National coffers!
More money in his pocket! Another 90 days!
Hikaumba, please on this one, leave PF alone as any more to increase the wage bill further than is at the moment, will only tilt this nation into economic troubled waters. What PF should be pressurized on is to reduce the size of the cabinet and fuel allowances given to the over 60 ministers and their deputies. It is a sandal to have such a huge executive in a poor nation like Zambia. Please mwebatu mweo bulabila na ba Sata mubauzeko to reduce his cabinet it is harming our economy.
Unions must be banned. They bring the country backwards and hold the private sector hostage. If your company does not make much money, why would you want higher pay. The minimum wage protects you, that should be it.
Now your wallet is empty Mr Hikaumba and you have opened your mouth. Where have you been hiding boss? Gone are the days when the trade union was a force to reckon with. Now the labour movement is in a deep slumber!! Voice out on the delayed constitution, the high prices of mealie meal, the police brutality, and more vices under the PF led by chumbu Chimbwi.
HEHEHEHE !
we appreciate the effect of an unsustainable wage bill to the economy
However what Hikaumba is saying is that a wage freeze must be done in negotiation with stakeholders. Not in a don’t kubeba style like is the case now.so let them go to the negotiating table and agree to have wage freeze from 2015 to 2017. simple logic.
To shut this guy’s mouth, just audit the accounts of ZCTU.
Do it now. Change the leadership In ZCTU. It was the weak leadership in the organization that Sata took the advantage of sacking the most important workers, the Nurses. Hence, we have lost very many human beings in hospitals. While people perish so savagely, Sata and the wife smile very widely. I am saying change the leadership ono ono basa. Cizauli?
He wants to show up now dat he’s broke!!Hikaumba is a useless president who only thinks for his belly!!Salary increments will not even benefit the workers coz of the useless kwacha dats nw at K6.4 to da $$$,it’ll jst bring abt more inflation!!!People should first demand for the firing of Chikwanda n re-organisation of BOZ!!
I work for cargill as a buyer. among as buyers,you find there grade nine, school levers, some they did general agriculture and some they did agriculture marketing.now what I don’t understand is that, we all get the same salary.we are all on contract. Some have been on contract for more than five years. We renew our contract yearly and we are not being given gratuity.
@ depressed citizen,
Not just fire Chikwanda, the whole lot of them need to be fired with immediate effect starting with their boss at plot 1.
100% agree! The rot starts in State House.
We need to impeach this IDI0T now, 2016 will be too late!
WHEN SATA WENT ROUND SAYING MORE MONEY IN YOUR PORCKET WHO EXACTLY WAS HE SAYING WIL HAVE MONEY IN THE PORCKET
Hikaumba you are out from your bwendo. Where were you?
Anyway if there was a purposeful ZCTU they would cripple this useless govt’s as with each passing day Sata’s administration is digging Zambia into trouble politically, economically and socially. Zambians will rue the day they elected these buffoons who probably cannot tell left from right, back from front, up from down. One has to be lacking in to say the PF “needs more time” or they are “still settling”. The boat has failed to navigate waters due to self-admitted low-calibre crew.
It will appear everyone now knows that the boat is fast sinking (or indeed already sunk)and want to re-position themselves.
My Cindy the boart will take time to sink. Maybe 2036. To me they are far much better than MMD. I can’t talk much. We will see in 2016. UPND has always been saying that they will win elections. But every time it is a distant no 3.
But where was Hikaumba & the entire ZCTU when gov. was planning for employment & wage freeze? It would have been easier to block the plan or gov.to change mind before its implementation than now when it is some months old in existance. I tink ZCTU is jst chasing the wind.
Link Zambia 8000, pave 2000, new airport, Chingola-kitwe dual carriage road , 600 health posts, refurbished UTH, L400 ,Universities,secondary schools,New Districts…etc VIVA SATA VIVA PF – WINA ZALILA AGAIN IN 2016!
where is the real Mushota, that link 8000 is a big joke, with a CNP, like the chimbwi we
have is very laughable, that requires a lot of planning, money and brains, ask him how he is going to do that without running us into a huge debt, you should know about the quote of it’s about the economy, that development will mean nothing with
a failing economy, a failed economy will lead to joblessness, inflation, high cost of living.