Chililabombwe Municipal Council Unionized employees have locked out the Mayor and Acting Town Clerk’s offices in protest over management’s refusal to sign a collective agreement that would have resulted in a five percent salary increment.
And Police in riot gear kept vigil of the council premises to prevent an eruption of violent protests by the incensed workers.
The workers who had gathered at the council works yard for the signing ceremony were incensed after management postponed the event despite having sent invitation letters and prepared the forms.
They later matched to the local authority’s main offices where they forced the Mayor Wilson Ponga and the Acting Town Clerk Baldwin Chinoya to leave the offices, which they later locked.
Zambia United Local Authority Worker’s Union (ZULAWU) Chililabombwe Branch Chairperson Henry Chabanya, who was at the scene of the proceedings, told ZANIS that the workers did not want the two senior staff due to their style of management.
Mr Chabanya said the council management had been postponing the signing of the collective agreement for the new conditions of service despite having taken one year to conclude negotiations.
The ZULAWU Branch Chairperson, who displayed the invitation letters for the signing ceremony and the collective agreement forms, said the workers felt cheated after having assembled to witness the signing ceremony which was postponed indefinitely.
He alleged that management had declined to sign the collective agreement after the 15 percent salary increments they had awarded themselves were quashed by the Local Government Association of Zambia (LGAZ) for not following the right procedure.
Mr Chabanya, who was flanked by other ZULAWU branch executive members, said the workers did not want the services of the Mayor and Acting Town Clerk because suspended Town Clerk Musonda Mumpa understood their grievances.
Efforts to get the Town Clerk and Public Relations Officer by Press time proved futile as they had all vacated their offices.
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