A Cabinet minister has been linked to calls by the ZCTU for nationwide worker protests. Some union officials have accused deputy secretary general Cosmas Mukuka of working with the said Cabinet minister, who is alleged to have pledged to facilitate Mr Mukuka’s appointment as permanent secretary at the Ministry of Education.
But Mr Mukuka has dismissed the allegation as malicious. Mr Mukuka said the reports are false, malicious and aimed at weakening the ZCTU and its affiliates’ fight against the announced salary increment freeze for public service workers.
“The decision for a countrywide protest was made by the congress and its affiliates and at no time did I receive any instructions from any person.
“These are communal matters. That is a lie and if it is meant to weaken the fight by targeting individuals, it will force us to get aggressive,” he said.
Mr Mukuka also threatened to sue the Daily Mail if it goes ahead to publish the story.
But another senior union official said: “We were surprised that ZCTU is calling for nationwide protests over the wage freeze. This is a matter Government and ourselves are discussing.”
He charged that the minister is also behind the issuance of a police permit for ZCTU to stage a protest march from Nakatindi Hall to Parliament, where a backbencher has been organised to receive the workers petition. The permit was displayed for affiliate unions to verify.
“A matter of protests should come from our members or from affiliate unions, but ZCTU called for an impromptu meeting in Lusaka and Copperbelt and just informed us of their decisions to protest and urged us to organise our members” he said.
He said that a fundamental decision to go on strike or countrywide protests requires approval from the formal structures of ZCTU.
“The issue has never come through for discussion in the ZCTU decision-making structures such as the executive board meeting, which consists of the board and general secretaries of affiliates done after demands from affiliates or extra-ordinary general council,” he said.
He stated that after the formal announcement of the nationwide protests, affiliate public sector union officials took ZCTU secretary general Roy Mwaba to task.
He said the union leader allegedly owned up and disclosed that the protests were a government project given to them by a senior Cabinet minister.
“We were shocked to learn that Government could risk the stability and health of the economy and threaten peace and public order and organise countrywide demonstrations against itself.
“It became clear that the demonstrations were a project by a certain set of ministers, working to embarrass another set of ministers due to the on-going Patriotic Front (PF) internal wrangles,” he said.
“As affiliate unions, we are enjoying cordial working relationship with Government and we refuse to be used as tools in these political games,” the union leader said.
It is alleged that a government minister urged the workers to organise mass scale protests against it, as Government was having difficulties with the International Monitoring Fund (IMF) and the World Bank over the national budget.
Mr Mwaba is alleged to have disclosed that even the issuance of the police permit and the media coverage by the Zambia National Broadcasting Corporation (ZNBC) was secured.
On Friday, October 25, the ZCTU secretary general was quoted by ZNBC news stating that the union had organised nationwide protests against government’s wage freeze as announced in the 2014 budget.
Today, Government is scheduled to meet the ZCTU and 10 public sector unions over the impending protests. The meeting is expected to be held at Government Complex at 14:30 hours.
Secretary to Cabinet Dr Roland Msiska has stated that Government is surprised by ZCTU plans to hold countrywide protests over the freeze on wages and employment, especially that the union adopted the 10-year integrated competitive remuneration strategy (ICRS) through its bargaining process with government.
He said the ICRS was approved by Cabinet and adopted by the unions.
He stated the attempts to hold public protests were, therefore, unjustified and premature.
Amazing
It’s high time we started associating salary increaments with increased productivity from the public sector. Kinda amazing how ZCTU runs to have salaries increased year in and out, yet do not call for or ensure there members reciprocate.
Service levels in public hospitals still remains pathertic. Fire Kabimba NOW!!
They think Chishimba Kambwili is behind this ZCTU strike… says Kabimba.
Wina azalila, these proetests are very much ok. There is noway a gvnt which came into power on basis of more money and more jobs, can justify such moves.
If for example, tax thresh-hold was put at K2,700.00 and the 53,000 pipo employed between 2011 Sept to 2013 Sept, were getting gross of K3,250.00 and you tax them, the amount of tax from them would be able to see about 2150 pipo in GRZ jobs in 2014. Or if the mining houses were to pay enough tax for the minerals they get and for destroying our land with holes, then the Gvnt can be able to employ and increase wages every year.
If nurses were to accept the 4% pay rise and go for 2 years without increment, then they would have in reality accepted 1.33..% pay rise for 3 years while MCS, his ministers and MPs got 45% increment for same per
my friend… to be exact a person getting a gross of KR3250 will get 2975 less 250 for NAPSA which is your money anyways.
PF just admit that you’ve failed! Honestly did you expect Sata to run an honest and competent government? The dude is not cut for it.
Only MuMmembe can sink so low as to use Wynter to stage manage a country wide strike by ZCTU. How I wish the strike was based on increased productivity in service provision by the public sector.
Simply fire Wynter Kabimba, and anyone being used by MuMmembe.
Continued delay in firing Wynter will continue to negatively affect smooth flow of government programs implementation.
@ OLdRugsOUT
So what happens if you later find out it is somebody else and not Kabimba?
Take it easy, you are just killing yourself with stress from personal hatred of somebody who is enjoying his life. Before you realise it, your time will come to leave earth and you will regret having wasted your time on hatred. Focus on your own life.
Mwembeshi – You have a lot to learn of why Kabimba will be fired. I suggest you spend time on researching certain matters before commenting.
What makes you think I hate Kabimba, no way. He’s of little substance to my well being, but as a Zambian will not accept mediocrity in Leadership nor will I accept cartels.
Whether you enjoy it or not KABIMBA will be FIRED, and so will be all his backers
someone educate me, is it salary/wage increment or recruitment freeze?????????????
both plus retirement age issue on top!!
Both> I hope you are a learned folk
@Luanshya & Ndobo, its more than that, it also includes freeze in resigning even if all country goes on protest, strike match. Only Sata can fire, hire or increase salaries. In fact there is a freeze on strikes too.
why not name the minister? war and rumours of war, whither to PF??
This Govt behaves like a villager who will always find someone to accuse even in the middst of Aids. Banilowa? You expected after inreasing you salary 100 folds, people will be quiet after your announcement of wage freeze>>>>>>>hope ful
For sure pf has failed and the zctu is also full of corrupt pipo. How can someone say “we are enjoying cordial relationship with gvt” which have introduced a wage freeze and no employment for two years. Shame!!!
It is Kambwili who is instigating and funding is coming from GBM.
They are stooping low. Cannot accept that they lost on Kabimba issue and resorting to creating problems for the government. Mr. President sir, fire the disloyal minister.
Civil service is overstaffed and with retirement age increased to 65, all those who were supposed to retire next year will not go. Where is the freeze on recruitment? Government just does not need staff to replace those who would have retired. The workers have been given over 100% increase. That can take care of workers for next 2 years
Why stoop so low. Don’t think with tribe. Just admit the ancestor has failed
lets go ahead..we want to see if you have teeth still ZCTU..viva !!!
It is also Ukwa Zondwe CNP’s 27% salary increase. It’s an insult to the intelligence of all Zambians and to add salt to injury, the stinking Chimbwi No Plan claims he will only reverse his illegal salary robbery if opposition MPs also take a pay cut. He is the one elected to lead and we will not accept such blackmail, it’s failure to lead and he should just quit before the whole country becomes ungovernable. We elected him to lead the country, not to lead only the Bembas, for the Bembas and the Bembas. Alah, chi Mnwacusa too much wenye mambala.
His increase is more than 70% please!! Also on top of that he enjoys everything free including feeding and transporting relatives!!!!!
Source! Daily Mail. Suggesting that Summer, the leader of the cartel wants to embarass Chikwanda. Chikwanda! Leader of the tribal crique. The battle continues. More Kantobo please.
Can we know who this minister is?
The fact is that if the un-named Cabinet Minister was KABIMBA, the name would have been known even before the story came out. So it will be interesting to hear who is behind this scheme and what their goal is. It is also possible that this story is a total fabrication, total lies. As I always say, ZAMBIAN MEN GOSSIP MORE THAN THEY PRODUCE ANYTHING IN THE ECONOMY.
It’s a very serious allegation and thereby need for investigation.
Why have you allowed the proliferation of so much confusion in the country, Mr Sata?
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