Itezh-itezhi operations paralysized as Public Service workers strike

Government operations in Itezhi – Tezhi district today came to a stand still when unionised public service workers resolved to strike demanding for payment of rural hardship allowances in the district.

And Itezhi Tezhi District commissioner Mary Mukwiza has appealed to the workers not to strike as the issue of rural hardship allowances in Itezhi Tezhi was receiving active attention by the PSMD.

According to a statement signed by Itezhi – Tezhi , Zambia Congress of Trade Union (ZCTU) Chairperson Chris Ng’andu made available to ZANIS this morning, the decision was made yesterday following a meeting of seven public service unions.

The public workers say they are unhappy over numerous unmet assurances by the government over rural hardship allowances that started almost five years ago.

The statement adds that civil servants in the district could no longer act on assurances on phone calls from Public Service Management Development Division (PSMD) because this could not be used for references in future.

The workers have said that the Strike was inevitable and that it will only be ended when the Public service Management Division (PMSD makes written communication to workers through the District Commissioner.

The Union stated that in March 2011 Itezhi Tezhi Union wrote the PSMD over the unrest over long awaited rural hard allowances for GRZ workers in the district in which they assured that the issue would be addressed.

“After lengthy discussions in Lusaka with various stakeholders regarding the rural hardship allowances, the Union officers were requested to go back to the district because the issue had reached an advanced stage and that the only thing remaining was for the district to wait for a circular from PSMD regarding the same subject which was to be faxed to the District Commissioner but this circular has never reached the district, ” read the statement in part.

They said that yesterday, as the Union officials were having a briefing from the DC over the matter a call came from the Education Permanent Secretary Andrew Phiri informing the District Board Secretary on the progress which his office had made regarding the rural hardship allowance but he was informed that it was not only teachers unions but all civil servants unions who were in the meeting.

The statement reads that with this information the education Permanent Secretary said then he could not address the matter but promised to communicate to PSMD who would address the ZCTU officers.

Meanwhile Itezhi Tezhi District commissioner Mary Mukwiza has appealed to the workers not to strike as the issue of rural hardship allowances in Itezhi Tezhi was receiving active attention by the PSMD.

She said that PSMD communicated with her office yesterday that government was in the process of sending officers to make verifications before they can authorize the payment of rural hardship allowances.

The district commissioner was in the company of District Education Board Secretary (DEBS), District Agriculture Coordinator (DACO) and other heads of government departments.

Last year in May teachers throughout Itezhi Tezhi staged a go-slow to compel government to implement the long awaited rural hardship allowances.

The Unions represented include Zambia Nation Union of Teachers (ZNUT), Zambia Union of Nurses organization (ZUNO), Secondary School Teachers Union of Zambia (SESTUZ), APTUZ, and Basic Education teachers Union of Zambia (BETUZ).

A check by ZANIS in various government departments found that no work was going on and pupils were just loitering outside in schools.

ZANIS