Civil Servants and allied workers union of Zambia (CSAWUZ) Kitwe main branch chairman Denny Maluti says his members feel betrayed by their national union leaders for accepting the 15 percent salary increment tabled by government.

Mr Maluti said in Kitwe that members felt that their grievances were not adequately addressed in the 15 percent agreement.

He said the Union members should stop blaming government for the inadequate increment but blame union leaders and Labour movements for not putting the interest of the members first during the bargaining process

He added that the agreement signed by the national union leaders with government should ensure all members of the union benefited fully.

Mr. Maluti further noted that there was need for unions to unite and speak with one voice when presenting three grievances to the government so as to avoid one union

He further observed that there was also need to reform and revises their constitutions in order to limit the tenure of offices for the union leaders.

Mr. Maluti said that the prolonged stay of the union leaders in their positions made some leaders start serving their interest instead of the members they represent.

He further disclosed that some union leaders did not fully understand the real situation on the ground their members were being faced with hence could not address their needs fully.

Mr. Maluti appealed to the unions to unite in future and speak with one voice and purpose.

ZANIS

Zambia’s Dambisa Moyo, author of the new book Dead Aid, was on 1st June 2009 invited to take part in a debate at the Royal Ontario Museum in Canada. The question of the debate was “Is foreign aid to the developing countries doing more harm than good?”

Below is the summary of the debaters

Dambisa Moyo

“Dambisa Moyo makes a compelling case for a new approach in Africa” – Kofi Annan

Stephen Lewis
“There are few witnesses to Africa’s plight as powerful or eloquent as Lewis” – Time Magazine

Paul Collier
“His ideas should be at the centre of the policy debate” – The World Bank

Hernando De Soto
“The world’s greatest living economist” – Bill Clinton

Many thanks to one of our readers using the user id Chanda for posting the link on the site.

The stage is set and the speakers are introduced

Stephen Lewis argues against the motion

De Soto argues in favour of the motion

Paul Collier argues against the motion

Dambisa Moyo argues in favour of the motion

A positive message, African stock markets, assets & property rights

Why Africa can’t depend on aid forever & doing business in Africa

Is Africa held back by circumstances?

The importance of market mechanisms

Dambisa Moyo’s closing arguments

Paul Collier’s closing arguments

Hernando de Soto’s closing arguments

Stephen Lewis’ closing arguments

The speakers are thanked and voting begins

ZESCO board has directed management to buy underwater cameras to help detect weed early in the Kafue River.

And Energy Permanent Secretary Peter Mumba, who is also board member, says Zambia is likely to experience power black-outs if the Kafue River is NOT properly managed.

Mr. Mumba said various firms discharge effluent in the Kafue River, which act as manure to the weed.

The Kafue weed recently affected equipment at Kafue Hydro-power station causing massive blackouts country-wide.

[ZNBC]

Deputy Minister of Labor and social Security Simon Kachimba has appealed to local and foreign mining companies operatibg in Zambia to assist retrenched workers by giving them business contracts in order to boost their businesses.

Mr. Kachimba said this in a speech read for him by Kitwe District Commissioner (DC) Macdonald Mtine during a 5 days potential entrepreneurs training workshop organized by the concept for informal sector employment promotion (CISEP).

Mr. Kachimba said mine houses should be able to engage institutions like CISEP and future search so that they could carry out much programmes on a continuous sustainable path for the various people who are losing jobs everyday in Zambia.

At the workshop the participants were provided with information skills and knowledge necessary for self employment and entrepreneurship.

They were also urged them not to stop learning but to continue developing their new acquired skills.

And CISEP Manager, Dixon Moyo urged the participants to link themselves with various institutions to facilitate poverty alleviation through the organization.

ZANIS

Former Communication and Transport Deputy Minister Alfred Ndhlovu has advised government to come up with legislation that will enable employees to be paid according to their level of education.

Mr. Alfred Ndhlovu said government should set a minimum salary that will enable people to be paid according to their education levels saying this will help address the current low wages in the country.

Mr. Ndhlovu, a former Transport and Coomunications Deputy minister in second republican President Dr Chiluba’s [quote]administration, said many workers in the country were being paid poor salaries despite their huge contributions saying this was tantamount to abuse of workers right.

He said paying the workers according to their educational levels will also enable parents put more value on education and thereby invest in their children.

Mr. Ndhlovu said this in a letter to chief government spokesperson Lt. Gen Ronnie Shikapwasha, made available to the media in Lusaka yesterday.

He said slave salaries should cease and allow people live a good standard of living if the country is to attain the much needed development.

He said the low wages lead to poverty adding that this was a major contributing factors why rural areas are not developed.

Mr. Ndhlovu further said the current maize floor price of K 65,000 given to farmers by the Food Reserve Agency (FRA) is also not enough considering the high cost of inputs in the country.

He also said that he is happy that Information and Broadcasting Minister Lt. Gen Shikapwasha during the commemoration of the world press freedom day expressed concerns at the low wages journalists in the country were receiving.

In his letter the former deputy minister has proposed that those below grade 12 should be paid K 1 million per month, K1.8 million for Grade 12, K4.5 million for First workers with Diplomas/University Degree.

He further said Second University degree holders be paid K 6 million and PHD holders be paid K10 million per month.

ZANIS