Maravi

Civil servants taking their work for granted - Luo
By Fridah Nkonde
Sun 12 May 2013, 14:01 CAT

CHIEFS and traditional affairs minister Professor Nkandu Luo says it is unfortunate that most civil servants in Zambia take their work for granted. During her ministry's Labour Day award ceremony in Lusaka on Friday, Prof Luo said Labour Day was not about being awarded but about being reminded of the worker's responsibilities.

"There are people out there on the streets that have nothing to do. But the tendency for most of the people that work is to take work for granted. They take work for granted and even say that, 'no one can discipline me because I have found myself in that position', especially in the civil service.

This is all because of these things like the verbal warning, after a verbal warning, a written warning and if you want you can even do an injunction. A lot of us have taken our positions for granted," she said.

Prof Luo said there was need for people to know that Zambians were part of the global world and that things were changing.

"You may continue taking things for granted and it will just take the reforms to come and reform the civil service and they say bad habits die hard so those that would have gotten comfort to the bad habits, they would still continue," she said.

Prof Luo said the Ministry of Chiefs and Traditional Affairs was a link between the people and the policy makers, adding that there was need for civil servants in her ministry to understand the needs of rural people.

She encouraged officers in her ministry to contribute to the growth of the ministry regardless of the positions they hold.

Prof Luo said she valued every worker's contribution, adding the civil servants in her ministry needed to be proud of whatever position they occupy.

"If you are not proud of your appointment and what you contribute to the ministry, I am afraid you are going to compromise the levels that we want to achieve. That dream that the ministry has can only be realised by having a human resource that is committed, productive, and celebrates the opportunities that they have," said Prof Luo.

And Ministry of Chiefs and Traditional Affairs permanent secretary Coillard Chibbonta assured Prof Luo that employees in the ministry were ready to embrace hard work.

Labels: CIVIL SERVANTS, NKANDU LUO, WORK ETHIC

posted by MrK @ 1:54 PM