Secondary School Teachers Union of Zambia, SESTUZ in Mufulira have asked government to pay teachers fixed band housing allowances arrears before paying new salaries and allowances to constitutional office holders.
SESTUZ district Chairperson, Charles Mapili, said the fixed band housing allowance has been outstanding for five years and it will not be fair for government to pay the new salaries to cabinet ministers and other constitutional office holders before clearing the arrears.
Mr Mapili stated in a statement to ZANIS that government should apply the first-come first-serve method to pay because teachers have patiently waited to be paid the arrears for five.
He said teachers are demanding to be paid their fixed band housing allowance before paying ministers, deputy minister, members of parliament and other constitutional office holders.
The union representative was reacting to the the decision by President Rupiah Banda to assent to the Bills that would effect the increments for Constitutional office holders.
President Banda assented to the three bills to increase salaries and allowances for the President, ministers, deputy ministers parliament and other constitutional office holders.
Government signed a Collective Agreement in 2003 with the union, in which it committed itself to paying teachers K450, 000.00 monthly housing allowances, which however, has not been effected.
And Kabwe Municipal Council (KMC), retirees have called upon President Rupiah Banda to help with the payment of their retirement packages.
Retirees spokesperson Dennis Shitima said that the Council owes them K3 billion adding that they had been tipped that the Council had received funds for paying retirees from the Ministry of Local Government and Housing.
Mr. Shitima who was flanked by scores of retirees told ZANIS in Kabwe that the retirees were disappointed with the manner in which KMC Management has handled the retirement packages for retired workers.
The visibly annoyed Shitima further called for the dissolution of the council management for their failure to contribute positively towards the empowerment of its former workers.
“The council should be dissolved as they have failed the people of Kabwe by failing to pay its former workers,” Shitima said.
However Acting Town Clerk, Daniel Mapulanga when contacted for comment disputed the allegation that the council had received funds for paying retirees.
Mr. Mapulanga said only a correspondence from the ministry has been written to his council assuring them they will assist them in paying off the former workers.
He however, said that the council had put in place measures that were tailored to be paying off one or two retired officers per month.
The Acting Town Clerk observed that the council is aware of the hardships the former workers are going through and has since introduced a scheme with K4 million every month to cater for retired workers who have serious problems.
ZANIS/SNK/ENDS/MM
Number 1
This is not fair at all! True, all animals are equal, but some are more equal than others. four legs good,two legs bad syndrome!
Bwanji boss pamulu apo? Give them the money I say. If constitutional office holders get, why not them poor teachers. GIVE THEM NOW!!
#4
The government should truely be responsive to the plight of our teachers by giving them their outstanding housing allowances.Our teachers are engaged in a noble profession which sharpens our thinking and defines our professional destine.People in the political arena should realise that there interest should not be overriding the interests of the masses there serving. Its indeed shameful!
GIVE THE TEACHERS HOUSING ALLOWANCE.BUSHE MWABA SHANI IMWE MWEBASHUMFWA KUBANTU? BUSHE MUFWAYA CHINSHI KU BANTU?
In the first place why sign an agreement which can not be honoured? Government should be seen to be serious. Why punish teachers?
And kabwe Municipal Council are jokers. Why not start preparing packages long bofore someone retires? You will end up following them at their graves and you will be disturbing them. Ala. This advice is for all councils.
Truely how can you increase salaries when people have not even worked.
#9
wetnni kodumaye kjdfop.nmdks mfye nhfhs lprioswh fkuso. i msdkhs teachers demand is ill timed. ghiasbtm kfo hertns ok.
RB and his mates are laughing. Kabili that chi general ichalepepela abalwele mu UTH ne nsapato ishapwa says RB cannot be compared to teachers. Now, RB will be getting more money per month than a single teacher will ever dream about in his/her lifetime. Mwapya.
futi.. kaili gtenh fokel porin shkgls past. heoths ldjiah mdigasi again. palese dohao nftweonc godd.
The fastest way they can get their money is to create an election. How they do it is up to them.
“SESTUZ district Chairperson, Charles Mapili, said the fixed band housing allowance has been outstanding for five years and it will not be fair for government to pay the new salaries to cabinet ministers and other constitutional office holders before clearing the arrears. Mr Mapili stated in a statement to ZANIS that government should apply the first-come first-serve method to pay because teachers have patiently waited to be paid the arrears for five.”This is extremely alarming and sad. Please, Mr President RB Banda could your pay that which is due to the teachers as soon as possible even if you have to cut all your presidential meetings to other countries. We as Zambians need you to work.
If our governement is a listening government it shud seriously look into this matter before getting their salary increments.Teachers in our country have been negelected for along time now despite their good work.
its because of this same teachers thats why we are even able to write something on LT.
RB you need to move very fast and win people’s confindence. January has alot pressure and you cant give everyone at the same time. You need image builders more now.
Hahaha!!! I knew it that this was the begininig of the circle,sadly for Toadface a circle has no end!!!
First come first serve true to the point!!
Source: maravi .blogspot.c o m/ 2008/ 11/ justify -your -voting -for-pay -rise -sata.h t m l
“Zambians don’t have a government that cares for them. The MMD government and the President himself has no interest of the suffering Zambian,” he said. “What you have seen is just a tip of the iceberg. These salary increments, even if they claim they have revised downwards, if you compare them to what other public servants get – relevant comparison – look at teachers’ salaries, it’s about K800,000 to about K1 million, look at the nurses’ salaries. An agriculture extension officer’s salary, there is no comparison.”
He said politics must not be treated as a source of income but meant to serve …
“So why should we get those who are supposed to be providing service to want to equal their pay to that of the governor of the central bank. Are you telling me that these MMD ministers have qualifications to operate as governor of the central bank? They don’t have, they are actually confusing the comparative analysis,” Hichilema said. “Yes they need to be remunerated adequately, there is no question about that but why would a nominated member of parliament still get a constituency allowance? Which constituency?”
He said it was nonsense for nominated parliamentarians to receive constituency allowances.
“Constituency allowance is to pay a member of parliament who has a constituency to be able to assist them in serving their constituency and a nominated member of parliament gets a constituency allowance,” he said. “I think that is nonsense. Nonsense because it doesn’t make sense because the definition for which the allowance is given does not apply. So it is nonsense. That money is supposed to go to nurses, teachers, police officer, military personnel and others who are paid lowly. We must reallocate that money to needy areas.”
He urged Zambians to connect their unacceptable living conditions to the process of electing their leaders.
“I hear many people now saying, ‘tinapanga mistake. (We made a mistake). But the question is how many times will the people of Zambia make a mistake?” asked Hichilema. “Now that the people of Zambia have made a mistake to elect him, though in a contested way, he has a passport to make them suffer, they have not seen enough, they have just seen the tip of the iceberg; you will see how much more suffering the people of Zambia will experience.”
However, Hichilema defended UPND parliamentarians who voted in favour of the bills to increase their salaries and allowance.
“That is not an issue. A member of parliament is not supposed to debate their own bills, that is a parliamentary procedure and Shikapwasha wants to hoodwink the people of Zambia and throw blame on opposition parliamentarians,” Hichilema argued.
Meanwhile, Hichilema said the frequent fluctuation of the kwacha was a sign of lack of confidence in the leadership of President Banda and his new Cabinet.
The kwacha is trading at about K 4,600 against US$1.
How are Zambians going to keep on making a mistke in voting? Voting is a serious thing which all Zambian must take beyond trouble issues.YES, the mistake might have been made in the last election, but do not despair for 2011 elections are around the corner.President Hakainde Hichilema and the UPND TEAM are still appealing to you all Zambians no matter what tribe you are, your level of education and/literacy,your original background of being Zambian,etc.I have hope that one day, Zambians will put up the right LEADERSHIP to serve us all.Let us not wait for a long time, but endorse the UPND TEAM unanimously in 2011 so that the delayed implementation of their manifesto can start and do the work.