SESTUZ condemns government over delayed May salaries

The Secondary School Teachers Union of Zambia (SESTUZ) has expressed disappointment over government’s failure to
pay its teacher members their May 2010 salaries on time.

SESTUZ General Secretary Emmanuel Zulu said government assured the union that their salaries will be in teacher’s bank accounts by mid-week last week but expressed sadness that government has not honored its promise.

Mr. Zulu disclosed this in a statement availed to ZANIS in Lusaka today that it is even more disappointing to note that only a few teachers from Luapula and Western provinces have been reported to have gotten their salaries by last week.

He said following government’s failure to pay them their salaries teachers can hardly afford a meal a day adding that they are constantly being threatened with evictions by their landlords who are demanding payments rentals.

Mr. Zulu has since called on government to immediately find a lasting solution and provide them with an explanation to why they have not been paid their dues up to now.

But Secretary to the Cabinet Dr Joshua Kannganja has announced that Government employees who do not receive their salaries through the Direct and Cedit Clearing (DDACC) system will receive the same within this week.

Government employees already on the district Debit and Credit Clearing system started receiving their salaries last week.

The Secretary to the Cabinet has apologised to affected government employees for the inconvenience and hardship caused by the late payment of salaries.

He has however assured the affected workers that the administrative /Technical challenges that led to the recent late payment of salaries have been identified and appropriate remedial measures have been put to avoid delayed payment of salaries in future.

ZANIS