Maravi

ZCTU advises govt to avoid another labour conflict

ZCTU advises govt to avoid another labour conflict
Written by Agness Changala in Lusaka and Henry Chibulu in Mazabuka
Sunday, July 05, 2009 4:33:59 PM

ZAMBIA Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU) president Leonard Hikaumba yesterday asked the government to rescind its decision not to pay public workers who took part in the just-ended strike. And education authorities in Mazabuka have received a circular from education permanent secretary directing them to take appropriate disciplinary actions against teachers who participated in the alleged illegal strike.

And education authorities in Mazabuka have received a circular from education permanent secretary directing them to take appropriate disciplinary actions against teachers who participated in the alleged illegal strike.

Commenting on Secretary to the Cabinet Joshua Kanganja’s directive to permanent secretaries to ensure that public service employees who absconded from duty during the strike were not paid for the days they stayed away from work, Hikaumba said the government’s decision would create more problems even when the two parties were engaging each other to find a lasting solution to the problems. He said the government must look at the implications of such a decision.

“That will bring more problems and I urge the government to rescind their decision,” said Hikaumba.

And Zambia Union of Nurses Organisation (ZUNO) University Teaching Hospital (UTH) branch chairperson Frey Michelo described the move as wrong and unfortunate.

“As far as we are concerned, there has been no formal communication to us,” said Michelo.

Health workers who called off their strike last week after 37 days of protest were demanding risk allowances and an increase in overtime and uniform allowances.

On Thursday, more than 300 health workers in Ndola were asked to exculpate themselves or face disciplinary charges for allegedly going on an illegal strike.

According to the union, about 200 nurses and paramedics at Ndola Central Hospital had received the letters while 116 were from 20 clinics under the District Health Management Team (DMHT).

And about 100 health workers in Ndola were on Friday scheduled to appear before a disciplinary committee to exculpate themselves on their absence from work during the five-week strike period.

Meanwhile, Mazabuka District Education Board secretary Darius Kaluba said his office was now compiling a list of teachers who had participated in the nationwide strike and would soon commence disciplinary action against them.

But Zambia National Union of Teachers Mazabuka district chairperson, Engleigh Malambo, said there was urgent need for the government to quickly withdraw the circular. Malambo said meting out punishment on the teachers would just ignite an indefinite industrial unrest which would be difficult to handle.

He said there was need for the government to appreciate the fact that the strike action was caused by its delay to conclude salary negotiations.

Malambo said now that teachers had agreed to go back to work, the government should find the root cause of the industrial unrest that almost paralysed the education sector and find solutions on how to prevent future strikes.

Labels: LEONARD HIKAUMBA, MAZABUKA DISTRICT, STRIKE, ZCTU

posted by MrK @ 3:35 PM