The Zambia Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU) has expressed concern with the approach taken by President Michael Sata. ZCTU president Leonard Hikaumba told Muvi TV News in an interview that the government ought to be open minded in dealing with the bargaining process.
Mr. Hikaumba said that the process should be taken in a “give and take approach” unlike the scenario of “take it or leave it.” He said that was very unfortunate if Government is just going to say that there is no opportunity to dialogue.
“As the mother body, we have encouraged Unions to bargain and we are appealing to Government as the employer to bargain, ” he said, adding that Government is on record of having forced other employers in the country to reach certain levels of offers.
” We have repeatedly made an appeal to Government that as the biggest employer, Government must lead by a good example,” he said.
Mr Hikaumba warned that if Government is going to impose the offer on the workers and not give room to bargaining, it will set a very bad example for other employers in the country.
“Government will have no moral justification to condemn others employers, especially those in the private sector,” Mr Hikaumba said
Yesterday, President Michael Sata went against his famous election campaign promise of more money in people’s pockets by declaring a dispute with the labour movement. President Sata told off the labour movement in the country to down their tools if they so wished.
The President said that the government will not entertain threats from the labour movements, but instead welcome their strike action. He castigated long serving union leaders, and asked them to pave way for fresh ideas.
Meanwhile, President Sata has called for improved working conditions for the police whom he said need to be alert. President Sata told the police to be alert of planned youth day protests
Mr Sata disclosed that there are individuals who are planning to fund youths in Southern Province to protest against government on Monday as Zambia celebrates youth day. The President urged the police to be alert adding that unemployment should not lead to such maneuvers.
MUVI TV
good morning
Stop expecting anything reasonable from a visionless boat of dry bones. Economic and public policy management is a system task for the ingenuous and rational not a task off those drunk with utopia realizable in an imaginary community.
Where in the world have you ever seen a nation moving forward with a president who creates Government ministries, provinces and districts randomly at every meeting opportunity he has without consent of the Finance ministry responsible for public resources?
Just this year our import oriented economy will choke beyond imagination. Prepare to see our Kwacha falling to K10,109 for US$1.00. I challenge any PF kaponya here to intelligently counter this with tangible PF economic intervening measures being devised which Zambians are yet to see. Under this communistic utopia regime our country is heading for some economic crisis too ponderous in magnitude to reserve without consequences of some social, economic and political damage. Unless President Sata quits his inoperative community socialist dreams and open up to rational actors among the intelligentsia, our country could be worse than the failed Zambia of 80s-1990.
Visionless, dictarial leader with no remose! Zambia we are in for it.
Please mr presido behave yo age..yo langua wil set th country on fire..i regret wasting my vote on mediocrity leadership.
dictator everyone new that SATA he is interested in the position but not the job FELLOW ZAMBIANS watch out
ba president keep yo promises,show leadership.its 6 months now,lets settle down plz,evry time u appear to the media u make a major pronouncement twanaka!
I am still sleeping and please people wake me up in 2016. I will pretend all what is happening right now is just a bad dream.
PF till 2031
The people who will Vote out PF are not Yet born,says one brainy political visionary Guy!! Pabwatoo nayo nayoooo till 2050!
I truly agree with Leonard that the government aught to lead by example if we are to win in labour related matters in this country, any way lets give our government more time.
Why does the success of individuals chock Sata?That is the problem of lacking basic education
Is Mr. Hikaumba alive?
You ve been exempted from PAYE what more do you want?
No one is exempted except that the threshholdhas gone up to ZMK2M.Even if you get k2.3m basic,you will be taxed.
“More more in your pocket” How do you get it if you are fired?
Okay, now the planners at MFNP did their job, projected the possible national incomes for the entire year to the maximum limited, subtracted all possible expenses (unplanned re-alignments included) and gave the president a negative figure in hundreds of billions with a clear professional warning that any increase of civil service salaries will only serve to double the negative figure.
Wat do expect the Gvt to do? Take it or leave it, bcos even the little Gvt is offering, is not factored in the equation. So, get it or be fired.
If the government increase salaries, Senior citizen will cry foul and come up with his book economics talking abt inflation. If no increment, the president is a dictator. Just wait and see the boat selling please, you will appreciate when you reach the shore.
@17, I meant sailing
Lies in morning, lies at noon, lies at bed time. Monkey tricks indeed. Leonard you sound more like a President in your speech than that monkey masquarading as President at State House.
This country will come to a stand still soon, there is leadership crisis in PF. So the prophet was right when he said that people of Zambia will suffer more under the new leadership of PF. Anyway, the blame lies on our hands for voting for this bad man.
this man has no agenda for this country period!!
I HATE ZAMBIA WITH A PASSION.
ba mimi @ 17 have respect for the elders thats why tamukulila remember the person you refering to as a monkey at state house can actually be either your dad or your granny and a thousand times wiser than your father. write sensible issues and not insulting pipo in authourity.if i were to check you, you are simply a kido who does’nt even own any thing and nothing to drive home about. shaah
we need voter education coz voter thought sata will jst open BOZ and give money like rain hah lelo lelo. u forget the president needed a proven education, a level of wisdom, maturity aand civilization.
u gambled ur country fellow Zambians, if u got ur vote wrong the consiquences will after those small kids and even the yet born innocent Zambian. Its a shame from comments here that most ppl r education but not civilized cenough. IF Obama was in Zambia he wouldnt have own elections coz of his parentage or tribe or skin colour, its not ur fault but ur actions will affect the entire Zambia young en innocent Be responsible next time u vote.
Civil servants with more money in the pocket. 4% increment never heard of. PF more money in peoples pockets.
Donchi kubeba is the way to go.Take it or leave it bane.
My boss has changed, he is a dictator incarnate!
Ba Hikaumba elo bwacha nomba. Where were you during the administration of the tourist RB.
Does it mean tamulelyamo nomba? If that is the reason why you are against the current President… Then shame on you!
Charles Malambo are you okay. A trip to Chainama wouldn’t be a bad idea. Civil Servants are being offered 4% and you think its a joke? Isn’t it the same liar who promised them heaven during campaigns? Malabishi
Not education has nothing to do with leadership , look at Malawi , Zimbabwe etc and compare with s. Africa . Christians should note that these guys just what devalue kwacha so that they achieve what USA is planin with Vatican for one currency world. Open yo eyes & reson, stop thinking one direction. Creating crisis leaves people with no option but to accept anything come one there way- like guy rights 666.e etc
Muli ba kolwe bonse who ar supporting SATA the man is useless and heartless.
setting the police on would be protesters is cowardly, dictatorial, unfortunate, brual, careless, playing with fire, dangerous, undemocratic and blatantly savagery.
Shokoto@24. You are entitled to your illusions about me and I really don’t care what you think. The truth is that you grandfather from your little tribe has failed. You voted for the monkey on monkeylines so enjoy it. If you were as clever as you want to portray, you and your clan would have been wise enough not to put us into this mess. You decided to go the tribal way and we shall counter you in a similar way. Thats how science works isn’t it. However, we are ready to forgive you if you come to your senses and admit your mistake.
Politicians are all the same. When in opposition, king cobby pretended to care for the plight of civil servants but now he’s flip flopping? Surely, how can you offer a 4% salary increment when inflation is around 10%. Cobby should streamline the civil service, which is currently bloated and inefficient. Thereafter, drastically improve conditions for a leaner, more professional civil service. Perhaps it’s too much to ask from his highness, the eternal king cobby!
Stop insulting us bemba we also want 100% salary increase ,listern a number by artist called impi ‘inshita ngayasa ngayafika’ is the top heat.
Let’s be realistic here, GRZ can not afford these salary increments these chaps are asking for, Leonard please go home and come back in 6 months time. Let the government do its work. Bear with the government they just got in yesterday.
Am not suprised.If you followed Sata closely his ambition was to become President period.Who said he cares for the poor?If you think so then please open your eyes.You are yet to see more.
Zambia may opt to import Zwelenzima Vavi to show this Govt that ideals of COSATU’s brand of unionism are ripe to shape-up Sata’s dictatorial tendencies. Sata’s rantling are signs of failure to govern.
govt has money to give civil servants more than 4%
Sad, there is nothing straight with Satan, this is all we wanted, first bartseland issue denied, then women issue now neglected, the man want to just hav personal gains, he used guy scots money and leave the mozungu in the cold now, we are yet tt see more, thanks for those that voted him
Its a disgrace for Zambia to have Hikaumba as a ZCTU president. Are we still in MMD government, where they were electing things for the sake of impressing the Tongas? What kind of Zambia is this?
And am happy Sata is bringing the Israelite to run Bank of Zambia. Sata should just impose a foreigner, even a Chinese can do better in running the ZCTU.
It is amazing how some people are clinging to the fantasy that somehow along the way Sata will become effective. The man is more interested in the title and the trappings that go with it. I am surprised that no one in the so-called parliament is talking about impeaching this man. This will go down as the most incompetent government in the history of the nation. He matches the capriciousness of infamous thugs like Amin. The good thing is that this is an old man in the twilight of his life. Hope will be gone by the next election. I really wonder what Zambians were thinking by electing this man. I just don’t get it…
By the way, with the random creation of all these ministries, districts and province, where is the money coming from? I thought the government creates its budget once a year? This is the problem in Zambia, the president has too much power. He controls finances without even approval from parliament. This sekulu in state house is exploiting that.
Sata did not impose himself on the Zambian people. He sold himself and you bought him. Whyn complain about your own choice. Sata fire them if they strike. They gave you the power, they also give yu time to do what you want to do.
Allow me to add my voice on the above subject. I think we should all be level headed when analysing issues instead of resorting to insults and defaming those in leadership. Indeed from an economic point of view giving an increament to the public workers having adjusted the untaxable threshold to K 2m will have inflationary repercations and set the economy on a downward trend with serios ramifications as government revenue will have suffered with this adjustment. On the other hand workers derseve the increament having voted for the PF on the premise of more money in their pockets. All in all, there is need for leverage and promotion of dialoge as the best way to resoving this standoff. Threats or indeed counter threats will be detrimental to the whole exercise. I thank you.
Thats true, we need to restore respect to the negotiating table. A win~win situation should prevail. Dialogue is the best, if by awarding civil servants huge salary increments wud damage the economy, why can’t the govt jst explain to the people. Most people are loyal to PF govt, am sure they wud giv them an ear instead of the threats they are sending to the civil service. May be the problem is that this govt was too vocal on increasing the working conditions of the civil sevice, and if they fail to do that, then it means they lied to get to power. However, my advice wud be negotiating this way out coz threats jst lead to more disorganisation in govt systeams of governance. Ntil then i will watch the space and see wat happens.
Govt should give 100% salary increment which Kambwili and Sata have already made public offers in public. What Hikaumba is simply saying is for govt to respect the bargaining process and reach an amicable conclusion b4 civil servants lose patience.
Zambian economy is doomed..sad for the youths who put in a cobra is state house..mwapya1!
That is a problem of having a Lemon at Sate House expecting to produce an apple.Cry mother Zambia! Dark days still on your way.
Politics in Zambia has reached a new level, where politicians can abandon all their campaign promises without blinking an eye or feeling any remorse at all. At the new level, politicians can either bribe or cheat their way to power. And those who successfully cheat their way to power call the other camp corrupt!
“President Sata has called for improved working conditions for the police whom he said need to be alert.”
Satan was calling on whom for this? Was he talking to himself? Who else is there to improve working conditions for the police? Is this PFooter still in opposition so that he continues to whistleblow on govt? If he is calling for something then who will implement those conditions he is calling for as everybody in his cabinet is dead scared of him? Satan really shocks me!!!!!
Dictator at work
It won’t be shocking if civil servants lose their jobs or are sidelined. This govt has not plans of how to grow the economy hence salary increament would be a sure way of killing this economy. Based on this view I agree with Sata that he should not increase salaries beyond 7%. Civil servants just tighten your belts further. Hard times are coming and soon for that matter.
Says: Sata wants to weaken the unions. He is President and should allow people who are at the negotiating table finish their work. He should not be talking as if he is sitting on his brains