Meeting on Chipata council impasse fails to take off
By Christopher Miti in Chipata
Wed 28 Dec. 2011, 13:20 CAT
CHIPATA Municipal Council has postponed a meeting aimed at resolving the impasse between town clerk Golden Banda and unionised workers who are calling for his removal.
Zambia United Local Workers Union (ZULAWU) Chipata branch vice-chairperson Cephas Phiri confirmed the development in an interview yesterday. Phiri said he had learnt about the postponement of a meeting through a notice that was written by council's director of administration.
"We are surprised to see that the director of administration had put up a notice that the meeting had been cancelled. We are surprised because the director of administration cannot involve herself in this matter because we had lodged our grievances to the mayor and the provincial local government officer. I am still waiting for my chairman to come so that we can see his worship the mayor to get a clarification over the same," Phiri said.
Asked about his suspension, Phiri said he never received his suspension letter because it was taken to him in the night.
"I refused to get the letter at 20 hours on Thursday and I said I will get it the following day but up to now, I haven't received it. So as far as I am concerned, I am not on suspension until I receive that letter," Phiri said.
He said the union was not aware that the town clerk and the director of finance had been summoned to Lusaka.
Unionised workers were calling for the removal of the Chipata town clerk and top management officers who they accuse of having failed to run the council in an effective manner.
The workers accused the council of not remitting workers contributions to insurance companies and Local Authority Superannuation Fund (LASF).
They also allege that the town clerk got over K40 million during his trip to Cameroon when the council was faced with financial difficulties.
But Banda told journalists last Thursday that the allegations levelled against him were baseless and that the workers were being incited by former top management officers who were transferred from the council.
He said he found the LASF problems when he became town clerk.
Banda said his trip to Cameroon was sanctioned by Cabinet.
Labels: CHIPATA, CHIPATA MUNICIPAL COUNCIL, ZULAW
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ZULAWU queries non-funding of Local Government Commission
By Bright Mukwasa
Fri 14 Jan. 2011, 04:00 CAT
THE government should explain how the newly set up Local Government Commission will operate without a budgetary allocation, ZULAWU has demanded.
Zambia United Local Authorities Workers Union (ZULAWU) president Misheck Nyambose said the government needed to make serious efforts to ensure that the new commission was functional.
“We are facing a lot of challenges in dealing with staff matters because the new Act took away all the powers. But the commission has no budgetary allocation in the yellow book. We wonder how it will operate,” Nyambose said.
Nyambose said in the absence of the commission, many local government issues had stalled.
“Let the commission start work so they look at improving conditions of service. The current conditions in the local government are still very poor to attract qualified staff,” he said.
Nyambose said nothing had happened despite the government’s announcement on the appointment of the commission.
He praised the local government for effectively disbursing funds last year but complained of rampant misapplication.
“Some of the money, however, has not been used for intended purposes. There’s a lot of misapplication of money,” said Nyambose.
Labels: LOCAL GOVERNMENT, ZULAW
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ZULAW appeals for govt intervention in council wrangles
By Edwin Mbulo in Livingstone
Tue 09 Feb. 2010, 06:10 CAT
ZAMBIA Union of Local Authority Workers (ZULAW) secretary general Noah Kalangu has appealed to the government to intervene in the continued wrangling among councillors and management in councils.
In an interview on Sunday, Kalangu said local government minister Dr Eustarckio Kazonga should intervene in the dismissal of five ZULAW branch officials in Kaoma.
“We are appealing to the government to intervene in the continued wrangling within councils especially Livingstone. This is affecting service delivery. It is not only Livingstone, the other local authorities are Nakonde and Chililabombwe and the government is aware,” he said.
He appealed to the politicians not to use council workers to settle scores.
“If the situation goes unchecked, it will adversely affect service delivery. Mind you, this rainy season we risk having an increase in cholera cases if service delivery is affected by continued wrangling in the councils. Here in Livingstone, a male councillor has taken the town clerk to the police while other female MMD councillors had to engage in a fight and are also at the police,” he said.
Kalangu said Dr Kazonga had a report over the five dismissed council workers in Kaoma.
“Our branch officials were illegally dismissed. We have written to the minister, but there is no feedback,” said Kalangu.
Labels: LOCAL GOVERNMENT, TRADE UNIONS, ZULAW
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