Zambia Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU) has cautioned government to brace for fresh salary negotiations with trade unions following the increase in fuel and food prices.
ZCTU Acting Secretary General Ian Mkandawire said the recent hike of fuel prices will negatively affect workers in the country as the workers expenditure of essential commodities is likely to increase.
Mr. Mkandawire said government and other employers should increase worker’s salaries by the same margin as the increased fuel prices to protect employees from being negatively affected by the soaring oil prices on the world market.
Mr. Mkandawire said government should further consider fully subsidizing the importation of crude oil as a means of cushioning the raising prices of fuel in the country.
He said the current subsidy is not enough as it will not adequately cushion the prices of food and other essential commodities in the country.
And Mr. Mkandawire has appealed to the Secretary to the Cabinet’s Office to speed up the ratification of the collective agreement entered between the University of Zambia and the University of Zambia Lecturers and Researchers Union (UNZALARU).
Mr. Mkandawire’s appeal follows the threat by UNZA lecturers to strike as reported in one of the daily tabloids today.
He has however called on the UNZA Dons to be patient and engage government calmly into negotiating the way forward on the standing issues between the two parties.
The lecturers at the country’s highest institution of learning have threatened to down their tools on grounds that management has delayed to implement their new conditions of service.
ZANIS/CM/MK/ENDS
Unza should pay our outstanding graduity, passages, long srvice bonus, retirement benefits etc as promised. Otherwise, we shall go on strike with immediate effect. They are not paying us interest on our money which they are holding on. If not then put us on permanent establishment instead of the useless contracts which you fail to honour.
Useless Ngandu has taken the university to dogs. he and lungwangwa are failures and i wonder why their contracts were not terminated
WHEN SPORTS MEN/WOMEN ARE ASKING FOR MONEY FOR THEM TO PARTICIPATE IN ANY NATIONAL EVENT, YOU ALWAYS DEMAND THAT THEY REMAIN PATRIOTIC AND DYE A LITTLE FOR MOTHER COUNTRY.. THEY ALSO WANT MONEY THE WAY YOU DO ALSO..GOVRNMENT MUST GIVE OUR LECTURERS MONEY THAN CREATING MORE PROBLEMS BY BUYING CARS CHIEFS..A CHIEF IN A PRADO IN SHANGOMBO HOW..give unza the necessary money for our country to develop than enticing chiefs..