A new trade union has emerged from the technical education, vocational and entrepreneurship training (TEVET) sector. Former members of the National Union of Technical Education Lecturers and Allied Workers (NUTELAW) have announced the formation of a new union called the Public and Private Lecturers and Allied Workers Union of Zambia (PPLAWUZ).
This is the second union in the technical education, vocational and entrepreneurship training (TEVET) sector. PPLAWUZ interim General Secretary Elvis Kacha said the new trade union has noticed with dismay that most private colleges in the country have poor conditions of service and as a result cannot attract full-time qualified staff.
Mr Kacha said PPLAWUZ has been formed to represent the interests of the workers in private colleges offering technical education, vocational and entrepreneurship training.
Mr Kacha said the union has been formed to work in collaboration with the government to represent the interests of the workers in private colleges in the technical education, vocational and entrepreneurship training (TEVET) sector.
“I would like to inform the nation that a new trade union called the public and private lecturers and allied workers union of Zambia (PPLAWUZ) was registered as a trade union under the industrial and labour relations act of 1991 on 6th July 2022. plaque becomes the second union in the technical education, vocational and entrepreneurship training (TEVET) sector. The union membership is open to public and private colleges and skills training centres which provide technical skills training, business studies and teacher education training which are accredited to the technical education, vocational and entrepreneurship training authority (TEVET)and unionise employees at TEVET,” Mr Kacha said.
He said the new union wants to work with the owners and management of colleges to ensure that workers are motivated by negotiating good conditions of service.
“As a newly registered union under the ministry of technology and science, we shall endeavour to work with the new dawn administration to ensure that private colleges benefit from training students using the constituency development fund (CDF). Extending this gesture to the private sector will help private colleges and skills training institutions sustain payments of salaries and other personal emoluments which over the years has been a thorny issue. The country has seen a remarkable increase in private colleges and skills training institutions which is very good for national development. However, we have noticed with dismay that most private colleges in the country have poor conditions of service and as a result, cannot attract full-time qualified staff. Hence, the need for a union working in collaboration with the government to represent the interests of the workers in these private colleges,” he said.
Mr Kacha concluded:” further, we want to work with the owners and management of these colleges and institutions to ensure that workers are motivated by negotiating good conditions of service. Therefore, this is an opportunity for all employees in private and public colleges to join PPLAWUZ so that we can work together to promote national development.”
