Negotiations for improved salaries and conditions of service between government and two public service workers unions have broken down because the two parties failed to strike a compromise.
Civil Servants and Allied Workers Union of Zambia (CSAWUZ) president, Leonard Hikaumba, and National Union of Public Service workers (NUPSW) General Secretary, Davis Chingoni, announced the development at a press briefing in Lusaka today.
Mr. Hikaumba, who read out the statement, said the unions rejected government’s offer of 15 per cent as salary increment effective January 1st 2008 and increased housing allowance rates for all unionised employees by between K60,000 and K100,000 effective June this year.
ZANIS reports that the two unions argued that this increment in salary and housing allowance was rejected because it did not meet their expectations.
He said the civil servants and other public service workers deserved a better package than what government was offering, especially that they sacrificed a lot during the crusade to meet the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) completion point a few years ago.
“On other conditions of service, the government position is to freeze non-salary related conditions of service at current levels and that there should be no introduction of new conditions of service,” he said.
Mr. Hikaumba, who is also president of the Zambia Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU), explained that the base figures for revising the current housing allowance rates should be in accordance with the 2003 collective agreement of K450, 000 per month for division II officers and K250, 000 for division III officers.
Classified employees were, according to the 2003 collective agreement, getting K150, 000 housing allowance per month.
“As such, the unions have rejected the approach by government to ignore the existing rates of housing allowance as previously agreed,” he told journalists.
He said the breakdown of negotiations for improved salaries and conditions of service meant the matter would now be referred to a body of conciliators which would be constituted within seven days.
Mr. Hikaumba has however appealed to the CSAWUZ and NUPSW members to remain calm as the process of negotiations goes into another phase.
Meanwhile, Mr. Hikaumba has insisted that government should repay workers, who were getting housing allowances at a reduced rate, the difference of what was agreed in the 2003 collective agreement.
“We want to advise our members that government owes them money as far as we are concerned. We expect government to clear the arrears,” he said.
He said the unions were not part to the adjusted housing allowances, adding that no party should make changes without the agreement of other.
Government stopped paying workers their 2003 collective agreement housing allowances in September 2003 and reduced the allowances by over 50 per cent.
How can you ask the Chinese to give our works good wages when you are in the forefront in sturving your own wokers with impunity. Shame on all ministers and permanents secretaries. Its like you are living in a different Zambia.
#1 you are out of topic what are you talking about?
LPM even had the guts to tell civil servants that ” the government could only pay what it could afford”. which i fnd hard to understand as LPM increased his benefits, MPs and ministers had increaments? and civil servants are still finding it hard to negotiate for K60,000-K100,000 increaments whichi is i find ridulous. civil servants the only way you shall change things is voting for government that does only think about themselves. Sata is now quite as the government took hom his old heart for an over haul in south africa? had sata been an ordinary Phiri from next door…he would have been the late? if this the kind of democracy we fought for? wake up my fellow zambians?
It is good that the civil servant have refused the 15 percent increment. The price of fuel is always going up that affects literally all commodities. You should bargain for a better package. Housing allowance is a mockery. Do you want professionals to live in Malota compounds that cost K500,000 per month.
Could someone please explain to me what Civil Servants and Allied Workers Union of Zambia (CSAWUZ) were Leonard Hikaumba is president, and National Union of Public Service workers (NUPSW) General Secretary, Davis Chingoni.Is ZCTU still in existence & Whose their head if Hikaumba heads CSAWUZ?Feels like i’ve been away from Zed for a decade ka.
Being a Civil servant is quite tempting,i mean i can imagine working so hard,getting little money,living in a place you don’t like coz you can’t manage any better.Then GRZ complains that Civil servants are diverting monies meant for developmental projects.I mean,we ought to pay our pipo well so that even when they are found wanting its justifiable to sort them out.The current conditions of services are terrible & after having reached HIPC;the so much talked about HIPC its time worker got their share.