Civil Servants and Allied Workers Union of Zambia ( CSAWUZ ) Deputy General Secretary Betty Mtambo has advised male civil servants to stop the old practice of sending their expectant wives ‘ on maternity leave’ to their parents for delivery.
Mrs. Mtambo says the traditional practice by most male servants to always send their wives back to their parents’ homes must stop but instead be with them before and after delivery.
ZANIS reports from Chongwe that the Deputy General Secretary made the call in Chongwe yesterday when she briefed her members on the 2013 Collective Agreement between the government and her union, signed in March this year.
Mrs. Mtambo said husbands serving in the public service must stop the practice and start taking care of their spouses when they give birth instead of sending them to their parents.
She urged all male civil servants to realise that it is their responsibility and an expression of love to care for their wives in all situations and not any other person.
Mrs. Mtambo said the paternity leave duration in the 2013 Collective Agreement has been increased to ten days from five days to give enough time to male civil servants take care of their wives after delivery.
The General Deputy Secretary also called on the civil servants to critically study the collective agreement and make appeals on job positions, which they feel, have not been properly evaluated.
Government recently signed a new collective agreement with four teacher unions for new and improved conditions of service for 2013.
Education Permanent Secretary, Chishimba Nkosha represented government, while the teacher unions were represented by Secondary School Teachers Union of Zambia (SSTUZ) president Nyambe Sefulo.
Other union representatives present included Basic Education Teachers Union of Zambia (BETUZ), Professional Teachers Union of Zambia (PTUZ) and Zambia National Union of Teachers (ZNUT).
Government signed the MoU which was premised on principles covering remuneration based on the integrated competitive total remuneration strategy for the public service from 2012 to 2021.
The collective agreement is aimed at improving the welfare of public service workers in the country.
The two parties agreed to effect the revised salaries and conditions of service on September 1, 2013.
Meanwhile, the civil servants in the district have requested the government and the union to quickly establish the Public Service Credit Union to save them from the high lending interest rates being charged by financial institutions.
President, Michael Sata recently instructed the Minister of Finance, Alexander Chikwanda, to immediately proceed with steps to establish the Zambia Public Service Credit Union Bank which would give affordable loans to the country’s PS employees.
Mr. Sata said the loans were meant for construction of houses, transport and education.
ZANIS
Zambian me are clueless on fatherhood that’s why I never married one!!!
You are being too general. Try me. I would not comment about our women the same way you have done. They are different. Zambian women are wonderful just like the men.
I am a Mumbukushu. You know where they come from? Shangombo area at the border with Angola, Zambia and Namibia.
We men honestly don’t need specialised leave days like paternity leave. We are the owners of authority & Dominion on earth bestowed onto us by God. Our women folk should worry about mother’s day, maternity leave and women day. Give me a break, a man going to sleep or rest is the waste of time. The normal leave days we accumulate in our places of work are just about enough.
Women of nowadays always want to take love to another level. First mothers of course need their parents for childcare lectures, after which they should always take care of themselves and the next babies. Hubbies should always provide the needs for the household not taking leave. Be real. TITF
Olo ni gender mwati ni so. Are u sure men are abl to clean and take care of sores of child birth, bath a newly born baby, wash matebela, wreping chitenge materials 10 times daily? And what if the couple is just having the first child and both do not know about all those things?