Government has awarded local authorities and fire services workers a six percent salary increment graduated in the range of three to eight percent.
This came to light at a signing ceremony held at Twangale Park in Lusaka yesterday.
Local Government Permanent Secretary Eddy Chomba said improved salaries and conditions of services would be financed using the Local government equalisation Fund and local authorities locally generated revenues.
Bishop Chomba directed local authorities to ensure that they develop strategies to improve revenue collection efficiency and productivity to enable councils provide satisfactory services to people and pay wages on time.
He said the Ministry of Local Government will also strive to ensure that the collection of revenue by councils is improved.
Bishop Chomba further said government would continue to release Local Government Equalisation Fund monthly amid austerity and economic recovery measures embarked on and amid the COVID-19 era.
“This measures are aimed at improving the economic performance of the nation, thereby demonstrating the importance that the government attaches to ensuring that councils provide satisfactory services to the people,” he said.
Earlier, Zambia Local Authorities Workers Union (ZULAWU) President Kingsley Zulu appealed to government to strictly adhere to the resolutions from the negotiations and not shelf them.
Mr Zulu also expressed the need to restructure the way negotiations are conducted by not creating a feeling that the outcome is predictable.
“We demand to see more in future negotiations because we do not come to the table with the sole purpose of achieving salary increments but also to better the conditions of service of employees,” he said.
And Fire Services Union of Zambia (FIRESUZ) president Josphat Zulu reminded government that workers motivation has a direct positive impact on the production and service delivery.
Mr Zulu said his union had noted with sadness that the government has continued to offer workers salary increments that translate to almost nothing.
He also expressed the need for government to ensure that markets and bus stations, which are the main sources of revenue for councils are depoliticised.
“The interference in Markets and bus stations is what has led to indebtedness in councils countrywide,” Mr Zulu said.
Meanwhile Local Government Service Commission (LGSC) Chairperson Amos Musonda directed all council Town clerks in the country to open their doors to union leaders to make sure they resolve conflicts that may arise from time to time.
Ambassador Musonda said militant unionism is ancient, hence the need to always promote dialogue.
As long as the Kwacha continues with the nose down fall, this increament is useless, arrest the kwacha against the dollar first, then workers will enjoy the salary increamensts!
Mwaleyangala zoona
6% like serious!when the prices of goods and services have risen beyond the reach of the majority of us poor Zambians.
Man Chilo yesterday it was 6% less….muletasha
El Mino
What should I tasha like serious?
Don’t comment on things you don’t understand
Playing with the public. Your time will come.
Isn’t that an insult?
They cannot even enforce building permits, they cannot maintain cemeteries, they hv failed to control bus stations and hv left the show to PF cadres who are imposing illegal fees on bus drivers, they hv failed to fine residents who litter. Wht hv municipal workers done for us lately?
6% salary increment vs 70% price increment of essential goods and services. That is such great!!!!!
Little as it may be….well done
6 what….
Even just the name of the venue for negotiations ati Twangale Park, it’s all jokes
A deal clincher for the local government workers
Better than nothing
Council employees are very lazy.
They do not deserve an increment.
6% is too much.
15% for FQM employees is okay. Miners though deserve better. Miners are productive and add value to the economy.
My opinion
Great job…but there’s more to be done
When we were in the Union, our aim was always to negotiate for nothing less than the inflation rate.
We would also calculate the time value of money first.
I don’t think the inflation rate is at 6%,
Your pay buys less today compared to last year (Mind you a meda of Kapenta was about K90 to K120, it is now K220).
And if you read carefully the increment is between 3% and 8%. so that guy who gets a K10,000 your increment is K300 only.
Kaya,
Thats why bakuba bantu.
That is great news. They all deserve it. As a patriotic party and government, we truly appreciate their work so one way of acknowledging it is via salary increases. Use that money wisely and refrain from drinking and side mbales
Next time it will be 10% don’t worry
How much is kwacha equivallent. All in all, %of kwacha dropped from K6 to 21.4 today is how much?
More money in your pockets has taken off….be patient bane.