The Zambia Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU) has threatened to organize countrywide mass demonstrations if government does not lift the wage freeze imposed on the civil service.
ZCTU Secretary General Roy Mwaba said from now on government will take full responsibility over its arrogance on the wage freeze.
Speaking during a media briefing in Lusaka today, Mr. Mwaba said the ZCTU is consulting its affiliates and will mobilize workers countrywide to demonstrate against the wage freeze because the action by government has left it with no option.
Mr. Mwaba, who was flanked by his Deputy Cosmas Mukuka, said part of the mass demonstration will be at Parliament building as a means of sending a strong message to Members of Parliament not to endorse the 2015 nation budget until, the wage freeze is lifted.
He states that should government not pay an ear to these mass demonstrations against the wage freeze, the union will apply other measures and actions to emphasize its disapproval of government’s decision to maintain the wage freeze.
The ZCTU Secretary General who could not clearly state whether union’s pressure on government to lift the wage freeze will culminate into strike action, said the public service workers will not shy away from striking if it becomes necessary.
He said that public service workers have conducted strikes before under previous successive governments and therefore it can also do the same under the Patriotic Front government especially that the unions are determined not to allow the country to become an animal farm.
And Mr. Mwaba has observed that it will be foolish to consider dialogue now over wage freeze when the budget has already been printed.
He said if government wants to dialogue over the wage freeze, it should put on hold the passing of the 2015 nation budget.
Mr. Mwamba was responding Information and Broadcasting Minister and Chief Government Spokesperson Joseph Katema’s indication that government is ready to dialogue over the wage freeze.
Economic Saboteurs, They didn’t protest when there was Government unilateral increment to Civil Servants
When was last strike in Zambia?? It was at UTH, and nurses got fired by Ba Sata.
Just look at the pic and u know that ur looking at pipo who chew free money. Actually the govt has been more honest abt its position than these corrupt deceivers . Their mouth speaks what they don’t believe
I thought the Union signed a MOU (CRB) with GRZ not increase for 2 yrs in which others were awarded 50%.Ma loan yayamba kumveka ma civil sevants ka?
Nkani zalula mange.
Very soon there will wide spread civil disobedient.
Farmers are planning one, Students have started already,Civil servants want start one, teachers ,soldiers and police are also complaining. And to make matters worse, the common man is angry because of the high cost of living imposes on them by the PF.
Its high time people rose up and challenged this PF government head on.
@Nonzelu? it seems you still want to see a national wide protest after yur ather failed ‘soon’ deadlines… listen son get off the key board and do something practical. once again we can bet that they will be no national wide protest. These guys signed an MOU for 2 years and agreed to a ‘no increase’ .. government is just sticking to the MOU
What kind of thinking is this? When govt announced last year that there will be a 2 year wage freeze, you kept quite. What has changed now? If you are not careful, Membe will end up using you to fight his personal fights against Chikwanda. The way Membe has been coming out in his POST, everyone can see that he is desperate to finish Chikwanda. He will do this by discrediting Chikwanda’s budget presented to parliament last week. I feel sorry for Membe. He seems to have lost his mind the day Wynter got fired.
But why have they changed their tone after agreeing to the agreement last year ?
Much as i want the PF to pay for what they have been doing i can’t support this nonsense. These boys have started changing their goals posts. This union has lost its usefulness. Time a new one was ushered in.
Austerity measures must be accepted for a better Zambia
ZCTU. This wage freeze affects everyone. Business don’t do so well because there less disposable cash and the private sector tend to compare themselves to govt and onli increase when govt increase so tiye tiye! Too arrongant govt!
I thought the Union signed a MOU (CRB) with GRZ not increase for 2 yrs in which others were awarded 50%.Ma loan yayamba kumveka ma civil sevants ka??
Yaba ! Whats wrong with these people ? The wage freeze is for their own benefit. It was brought upon with tomorrow in mind. The problem with an African mind is there is no thinking about tomorrow. Time you sacrificed a little for the sake of tomorrows bumper harvest .
PFR ‘s wage freeze is a pay cut in disguise in real terms. You would be stupid to consider it as a wage freeze when prices of almost everything has shot up by margins far higher than the recent PF wage increase.
Use your reasoning for a change and not allow your “oppose whatever the government does” mentality dictate your thinking. The Greek economy collapsed because of people with a mentality like yours and these union leaders. These guys agreed to the wage freeze demands in the Moa they signed, why should they change their minds now ? Be rational.
only option is country wide strike wait and see
increament is not the best way to go lets force govt to start buying oil from Angola. what is needed is to lower the cost of doing business eg reducing electricity and fuel price
Last time I heard that there were a lot of very skilled unemployed graduates roaming the streets who are willing to take up any form of employment in any province around the country….
The best part of it is that we know the reason for wage freez we are building and revamping industries like ZR so lets strike responsibly
yes what is needed is buying cheaper oil from Angola as it will bring the cost of business down. suspend constitution and universities untill a rail line to Angola finishes
Kwene PF yali kwata ifipuba like walima,chukuand wisdom.The PF government has no moral ground to impose a wage freeze because of the way have been misusing government resources. Zambia did not send to over borrow and spend like rack less teenagers on shoping spree at Manda hill.Running gorvenment requires serious leadership.The government was supposed to balance and prioritized expenditure . Creat a clear plan how they will spend resources in the short term and long term. This would have shown that they are serious pipo can understand, but were they increasing there salaries and are paying themselves huge gratuity in time when retires are not yet paid. What else should common Zambians think of them? Isn’t they will say they selfish and irresponsible.
Ati ZCTU, you guys you get free man form us civil servants . You do nothing and are not objective. Which civil servant will join in a useless protest. Us civil servants have understood why GRZ has put a wage freeze and this is due to the fact that GRZ increased over 100% salaries of each civil servant. This was just a year ago. Now think of it, which civil servant will join these corrupt fellows who eat free money? We support GRZ for the wage freeze…..we know next year they will increase.
Peace and Prosperity to Mother Zambia.
Only last year these guys were smiling knowing fully well that contributions towards ZCTU would flow unhindered! Trolleys were full to the brim and it was all rosy, we know the effects of inflation but bane lets be serious! All we need is implementation of some blogs suggested above on reducing the cost of doing business not lyonse kulafwaya ama increamenst mmm yashani bane? Lets get cheaper oil from Angola apa pa duze chabe!
You must be living in coco land. Which 100% salary increment are you on about?
Civil servants only got a mare 4% salary increment, while politicians are the ones that got that 100% increase. To add salt to the injury Sata gave himself 250% pay rise in just three months.
The chickens have finally come home to roost after the euphoria generated by PF ‘s victory has waned.
Mwana ba PF, UNIP style demonstrations will hit the whole country very soon.
Bo Wanzelu, you behave as a Alibenzulu.
My dear let me tell you, I am a civil servant and with this salary PF is giving me I see no need of working for a private sector. Those guys in the private are salivating willing to work for Boma. Mmm man soon I will finish a state of art House I am building which a private employee will not build. Mmm continue suffering in the diaspora living in a one bed roomed house , us here man its always enjoying the PF salary. So who can participate in a very baseless protest?
@Truth hates.
Be careful not to boast too much my friend. If you are in Lusaka and live in woodlands or Rhodespark areas, chances are you might be renting one of my properties.
After PF is gone I will continue to expand my empire.
@ Truth.. (or not!)
Your cheap propaganda ain’t working bra. We know where you blogging from. “State of Art House” my foot. Bloody Chishmba Kambwili. Stop wasting blogging space.
@ Wanzelu
Conquer with you my man. The increase in civil servants salaries was way below the inflation rate and therefore no real increase. Accordingly, a freeze is effectively a pay cut. This is a far cry from the chief public servant who is drawing a free salary in addition to free world class medical attention. The country will need a miracle to get out of this quagmire..
Wanzelu is just a deluded chap on Hikandes pay role. Don`t waste your time on this chap.
ATI ZCTU ATASE FIKABWALALA FYE FILELYA FYE IMPIYA SHABANTU.WEN NURSES WERE FIRED THE UNIONS HAD A MANDATE TO PAY THEM MONTHLY WAGES TO CUSHION THEIR SUFFERING .NOMBA FYENA ELYO FYA LANDA LANDA ACTING LIKE VUVUZELA .THEIR INTEREST IS NOT TO SERVE WORKERS IT IS THEMSELVES.ANOTHER PROBLEM IS THAT THEY DONT EVEN UNDERSTAND TRADE UNION MANAGEMENT THEY ARE USELES BECOZ IF WORKERS DOWN TOOLS U WILL SEE THEM DOING NOTHING INFACT THEY WILL EVEN GO TO PLEAD WITH GOVT.THESE GUYS ARE CHIMBWI NO PLAN .
And when will people in Zambia ever stop the addiction to socialism. Governments must not creat jobs, the private sector should. Government must provide an environment that supports job creation. Bottom line.
Zambians understand that government is not solely responsible for creating jobs. For years since independence, government has only created jobs for about 20% of the population. So to assume that Zambians are relying too much on PF to create jobs is wrong.
What people are crying for, are sound government policies which will enable them get on with their businesses without having to spend all their income on out weighing the ever increasing cost of living. They want government to take steps to make credit for private capital projects available so that those with the acumen, to create employment can go ahead.
Right now , its the government borrowing all the money and leaving nothing for private businesses to rely on, there by causing interest rates to rise above what SMEs can manage.
I agree with every statement you have made save for the fact that Zambians do not expect government to create jobs- they do. That is a fact -an example; everytime a street vendor is chased, the statement is “creat jobs then we will move”.
Chikwanda wasn’t constrained to the 1 and half hour budget speech for nothing, all the money is gone. Gone till November 2016.
Be ready for a long fight cause the PF GRZ is here to stay and we shall protect our Party and Grz for every decision they make…as there are pipos government. Roy Mwamba is just stogy who can be used by any desperate politician
These fake unionists sounds as though they are dreaming or living in Mars, whom do you think will even join you in this you want to put us in the uth position which you even failed to defend ba stupit, which foolish useless person is even funding/influencing you, you will be surprised when we turn against to beat the hell out of you!!! After this government did what you failed to do in the previous govs you want to seem as if you are clever… PASOPOLO!!!!
ZCTU you failed to protect poor workers in the mines who have been subjected to poor working conditions under the hands of the Chinese and even by our fellow Zambians yet you seem very happy to jump to the support of some already overpaid and undertilised civil servants who do absolutely very little in their places of work, most not all of them but most are a waste of govt resources who should be fired so as to create space for many other deserving young jobless Zambian graduates.
ZCTU just shut up, we the real civil servants will not support neither the protests nor the strikes. Actually the Union leaders are thieves. Go PF we will support you. In fact implement the pension scheme quickly as we want to retire at 65 years. Those who want to o at 55 yrs let them go. Do not speak for every one. I am telling you no sane Civil Servant will participate in strike.For now we are okay our salaries come time. Go PF they are wasting thier time
This behavior is as recurrent as UNZA demos. Listen, in 1997/98 the Chiluba government perpetrated a wage freeze which was unsuccessfully contested; in 2004 Magande his announced wage freeze as a measure to achieve HIPC, and then spokesperson for government Nalumango called all those opposed as breaking the law. In UNIP days wage freeze was implemented by announcing “tightening of belts” as there was usually only consultation with the IMF. We need to find a way of ‘home growing’ our structural factors that lead to this ‘temptation’ by government to freeze wages of civil servants’ salaries.
Now I understand why Sata was pretending he will be working for free, he saw workers getting angry with his prolonged wage freeze.
wanzelu and mushota there’s no other things you do apart from making rubbish contribution even supporting or opposing let’s not irritate people
Please airheads the collective agreement was just for four months only-It was from September 2013 to December 2013!Which official documents are you following you PF compulsionist sycophants? PF regime MUST COUNT themselves VERY LUCKY to ishave been at peace with the civil service and other pro-poor organizations!This is the most dullard and selfish government ever to have ruled Zambia in the annals of zambian history! Us in the civil service this is long over due & we are more than ready to defend this vivid animal farm rule from being inprinted in zambians! Just waiting for the whisle.ATI Kabwili minister; Kapata;ovious-what a flea circus PF rule-uuko !
We are aware that labour union leaders are getting what is not theirs & also top civil servants are busy grafiting big time just like their fellow looters in PF hence their silly and unresearched comments such as this one from this so called “senior civil servant” at the expense of the masses!PF must really introspect its compulsionists otherwise the cost of living to a commoner is really bad.In 1991 and 2011 general elections;Kaunda & Banda undermined the commoners and were cheated by their so called senior civil servants respectively but to their shock till one cried and up to now RB is still in political disbelief!
There they go, merely bragging to the world that they ve made enough from workers’ contributions to start political fine tuning.Unionists my foot! instead of engaging govt and its quasi institutions on the billions of kwacha they owe the workers in unsettled allowances such as leave and settling in(e.g the nurses for many years), they choose to make noise about a non issue but only because they falsely believe it would give them a leveraged political charter.How disgusting! by the way how do these unions spend workers’ contributions and when, if ever, are they audited?i think it’s time workers started asking.
Civil servants are getting better salaries then ever before in the history of Zambia. Most have houses, cars and they’re able to get loans unlike before.
We did get an increment about a year ago. What is the prob?
The Union leaders are inciting these people.
The gov should sack anyone going on this useless strike. Give jobs to the young graduates roaming the streets.
After 2015 when the wage freeze is lifted, Zambia will be paradise
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