Maravi

Public sector industrial unrest

Public sector industrial unrest
By Editor
Friday June 15, 2007 [04:00]

The current labour disputes in some sections of the public sector are not healthy for the country. While disputes may not entirely be avoided between employees and employers, we think that the current state of affairs - especially as we are witnessing it in some sections of the public sector - is not good for the country, especially for the economy.

Over the last few days, workers at some of our public institutions have been engaging in go-slows or complete strikes in some cases. There is no need to recount the events because we have adequately reported on them in this newspaper.

However, what worries us most is that it would appear that some of the public places which are experiencing industrial action are places where it has become the norm, rather than the exception, for employees to take strike action almost on a year-in year-out basis.

Here, we are talking about institutions such as the University of Zambia where it has become normal that if the students are not boycotting classes over this or that demand, then it should either be the lecturers and researchers or at least the general staff. Even for the judiciary, we are concerned that the administration of justice may be affected by the current action by judiciary workers.

As we have already stated, it is an illusion to expect complete industrial harmony in the economy. As long as there is an employer and an employee, there will always be some form of disputes or disagreements because each of the parties have their own interests or needs to be fulfilled or satisfied. However, when we look at the overall effects of some of these actions, it is clear that something has to be done about the situation. If we focus our attention on the situation at UNZA, it is not only students who are feeling the effects of their lecturers’ strikes.

The closure of the Great East Road yesterday morning by traffic officers greatly inconvenienced the movement of most motorists who rely on this important route. It is understood that this measure may not have been avoided as it was put in place in order to protect motorists from some stone-throwing students. We can only imagine what kind of effect the closure of this road might have had on those who were on their way to work or other errands.

In our view, the employers of public sector workers - essentially the government - need to start looking at the grievances that have been a source of confrontation with workers for many years now. The question of inadequate resources to cater for workers’ demands will always be there and employers will understandably plead with the workers on the basis of such arguments. However, workers will only be tolerant if the employer also shows that they are caring enough. And that can only be demonstrated through actions that are clearly tailored to the resolution of disputes.

In most cases, and as we are currently witnessing, workers have had to resort to the only available means in order for their demands to be met. We have observed that on many occasions, workers in this country have made calls for improved conditions of service but their polite demands have fallen on deaf ears. And since it would appear that the remedy workers have is withdrawal of their labour, they have chosen to take that route and we should not be surprised at the rate of industrial actions in the country.

The government has always been quick to urge public service workers not to take action as such actions affect productivity in the economy. This argument is neither fallacious nor misplaced. However, if the government is truly concerned about productivity among workers, then it should also be concerned about their conditions of service. The two should not and cannot be separated. It is well-known that the employer’s objective is to maximise productivity from workers while workers also want to maximise their earnings based on their input or contribution.

We think that is exactly where the line should be drawn, very clearly. In short, workers need to be motivated and their motivation will not come as a result of subjecting them to poor conditions of service. And productivity among workers can never be a result of subjecting them to poor conditions of work.
If anything, looking at most of the demands being made by the striking public workers, our view is that they deserve the attention of their employers.

The incessant confrontations between employers and employees will not help matters in terms of improving the economy of our country. And if the government is truly interested in seeing a highly productive labour force which will in turn improve the economy to the most sought after double-digit rates, then it is time attention was given to the perennial but genuine cries of the workers in the public sector.

In our estimation, the labour movement has so far done a good job in reminding the government of the need to complete some of the unfinished business in terms of improving the conditions of service for public service workers in particular and workers of this country in general. Our submission is that the government would do well to start acting on the problems that have been a source of industrial disputes in the public sector.

Labels: CIVIL SERVANTS, EDITORIAL, LABOUR

posted by MrK @ 5:04 AM