Don’t pay MPs gratuity – Caritas

Don’t pay MPs gratuity – Caritas
Written by Moses Mambwe in Livingstone
Caritas Sunday, June 14, 2009 4:04:37 PM

CARITAS Zambia has appealed to the government not to pay midterm gratuity to members of parliament before giving a positive response to salary increments demanded by civil servants. Members of parliament are expected to get K480 million midterm gratuity this year.

Caritas Zambia Livingstone chapter coordinator John Mwewa in an interview urged the government to show credibility and sort out the issue of pending salary increment demands by civil servants.

Mwewa also called the minimum wage a “mockery” when the cost of living had continued to rise in Zambia.

"If there is credibility in the government, let them take care of the salary increment demand before paying the midterm gratuity to MPs and seriously let them look at the cost of living. Even the minimum wage is really a mockery to society", he said .

Mwewa also said the JCTR Basic Needs Basket (BNB) was not the real reflection of the cost of living as there were some hidden costs such as lunch and transport for the school going children.

On the current strike he called on civil servants to form associations of retired civil servant who would help during strike periods.

"I would like to call upon civil servants who are about to retire to form associations which will be assisting the nation during strike periods as strikes do not spare anyone especially the health sector where innocent souls have been lost because of some selfish leaders" he added.

He also praised Zambians for their good dialogue skills and asked the government not to take advantage of that.

"Naturally Zambians are good at dialogue but government should not take advantage of that because one day people will just lose patience," he concluded.

Recently finance and planning minister Situmbeko Musokotwane said that members of parliament would soon receive their midterm gratuity.