The Zambia Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU) has strongly condemned the decision by government to increase fuel prices.
In a statement issued to media, ZCTU Secretary General Cosmas Mukuka said that the increase in fuel prices will have a spillover effect on the cost of essential goods and services with prices in transport, electricity, food another essential expected to increase soon.
Mr Mukuka said that workers have to pay more to commute to work and back and will soon have to pay more for food and other consumer goods, adding that they will have less to spend, causing the demand for consumer goods to drop further, which will in turn lead top job losses.
Mr Mukuka stated that the workers and the poor are already over-burdened by the introduction of additional taxes, which have impacted negatively on real incomes
Mr. Mukuka added that productivity will be affected by the increase because the business world will blame the high cost of fuel for reducing production.
Mr Mukuka said that the ZCTU fears that some companies may resort to retrenchment of workers as a way of cutting down on production costs, thereby worsening the already high levels of unemployment in the country.
Mr Mukuka further said that ZCTU is worried by the high increase in fuel because producers of goods and services will pass on the increase to the consumers.
Mr Mukuka has since urged all ZCTU affiliates to start pushing demands in salary increments with employers, in order to cushion members from economic hardships.
However, Government has said that it has no control over the rising International fuel prices. Chief Government Spokesperson Dora Siliya said that government has been monitoring the international trends and anticipated that the country will be affected by the rising United States dollar.
Ms Siliya said that this was why Government, a few weeks ago increased the Minimum wage and also increase the number of social cash transfer beneficiaries as a way of cushioning people from such shocks.
Ms Siliya was speaking during a joint media briefing with Special Assistant to the President for Press and Public Relations Amos Chanda in Lusaka.
So, ZCTU still exists?
I don’t even know who the current President is. Those days when we were growing up, a ZCTU President and Secretary Genera used to be household names.
we used to get presidents and ministers from ZCTU. I have never heard of ZCTU president or secretary in recent years.
Zambia is a sad village now.
Namwala is a sad village today.
Uulima mwibala.
Do these guys even understand what they are talking about! On the international market the prices for crude oil has been increased so how do these an informed union learders expect govt. not to increase? Baleishiba utuntu
Why do they not decrease when prices drop on world markets ??
Who is the current President of ZCTU? This organization is dead!
What ZCTU should be advocating for is minimal increase. everybody feels it was inevitable to adjust fuel upward, except the hike of 16.8% for petrol was way too high. ZCTU must face reality crude oil on international market has gone up since the last time we had a hike in February this year. It’s not good to willfully hoodwink people by twisting facts on the ground.
South Africa is on recession, this is the effect for strong dollar worldwide, in DRC even breakfast 25kg bag is now 240 to 260 kwacha, while fuel is $2.5 per liter.
Pf has no apologies. No apologies. Look at how they handled futuristic Lumumba .
They are so blinded by few coins they are making.
This is Africa. They listen to bullets and stones and riots.
UPND has no apologies for fielding a privatization thief and money laundering thief on their ticket repeatedly.
If you dont want to criticized. The door is open. Resign
Zambians lets rise up against these fools. Enough is enough. Ba stupid baseya fye chilamulungu teti batekeko na matako panshi. Ala twalafwa kunsala.
Y stress yourselves,as long as we are still on earth things will never be easy for mankind.
There things that you can say no when you have the capacity to do so, Do we have any alternative, those condemning kindly make workable suggestions to the government.If you can’t accept any explanation then even room to accept any reasonable explanation will not be provided.
ZCTU is all bark and no bite. If it was the ZCTU of Chiluba this time it would have been tools down.