Workers Strike: Government media claims agreement has been reached but other reports dispute this

Government media June 9 and 10 has carried stories claiming the state and public service workers union representatives had agreed on a 15 percent salary and wage increment for civil servants. the reports appear to be disputed in private media reports which suggest the 15 percent offer has been rejected by the workers.

Chief Government spokesperson and information minister, Ronnie Shikapwasha, announced the agreement on the award of the salary increase in a statement issued in Lusaka June 9. Shikapwasha said the agreement was announced in Lusaka June 9 by public service workers’ union representatives and the Government negotiating team when they briefed Secretary to the Cabinet, Joshua Kanganja about the progress made so far.

“Government wishes to inform the public that considerable progress has been made towards finalising an agreement on the ongoing salary/wage negotiations for public service workers,” he said.

The minister said during the meeting, the bargaining unit also agreed to constitute a joint technical committee to deal with the outstanding issues of housing allowances. He said it was further agreed that the signing of all the collective agreements will be concluded by tomorrow.

“In view of this positive development, the Government is urging all public service workers to continue working normally,” he said. Public service workers in various parts of the country have gone on strike citing delayed negotiations for salary increases and payment of housing allowances.


And usaka Province Minister Lameck Mangani has appealed to striking civil servants to resume work. He made the appeal at a press briefing in Lusaka yesterday.

“I visited the University Teaching Hospital (UTH) and the situation on the ground is very bad because people are being turned away. Pupils at Munali secondary school also decided to demonstrate, which is very risky,’’ Mangani said.

Mangani accused some opposition political parties of inciting the striking civil servants. He charged that a group of people has been paid by some opposition political parties to go round the country and incite civil servants with the aim of tarnishing the image of President Banda. He was however quick to point out that there were some genuine concerns raised by the civil servants and that Government will address them.

“Political parties are expected to help resolve the problem and not to fuel it. They are undermining the authority of an elected Government,’’ Mangani said. He alleged that people who are being investigated for corrupt practices were inciting workers so that the attention can be diverted.

And Ministry of Health has clarified media reports that the health workers’ union has bargained for a 100 percent salary increase. Health spokesperson Reuben Mbewe said the report quoting Ministry of Health permanent secretary Velepi Mtonga is incorrect and misleading.

PF, UPND is desperate move says Shikapwasha

CHIEF Government spokesperson and information minister Ronnie Shikapwasha says the Patriotic Front-United Party for National Development (PF-UPND) pact is a desperate move that does not threaten the ruling MMD.

Shikapwasha said the coming together of political parties without identifying principles of operation is worthless.

“For example, who is their presidential candidate? They have not told us all that. Or, are they going to field the two presidents?” he asked. “Let them work together, but as a party in government, we are very strong. The development programmes and work we have done speak for us. The way we have handled the economy, the mines and corruption cases speaks for us. We have done a lot of work in hospitals, schools and we have also done well in as far as food security is concerned,” he said.

But Mr Kakoma said the MMD has allegedly outlived its usefulness. He accused MMD leaders of panicking over the PF-UPND pact.

“If you take a good look at the MMD leaders, you will see those worried faces,” Mr Kakoma said.

Other ministeries to be investigated as number at health rises to 32

Chief Government spokesperson and information minister Ronnie Shikapwasha says Government will extend forensic investigations of corruption to other government departments and ministries.

He said effective measures aimed at extending forensic investigations of corruption to other government departments and ministries have already been put in place. He said the move taken by Government to extend forensic investigations of corruption to other arms of government will ensure that the plunderers of national resources and perpetrators of other corrupt practices are brought to book.

He said Government, through the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) and other law enforcement agencies, is working tirelessly to ensure that it gets to the root cause of corruption in government. He said Government will ensure that perpetrators of corrupt practices are brought to book in a bid to ensure that there is transparency and accountability in the utilisation of public funds. Further he said Government will ensure that it fully supports the efforts taken by law enforcement agencies to clean up ministries and government departments as corruption was frustrating government efforts of attaining the goals set in the Fifth National Development Plan (FNDP) and the Vision 2030.

And a combined team of Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) and Zambia Police officers swung into action last week and detained 32 Ministry of Health employees

Mobile hospitals? Committee to assess cost-effectiveness

Government has, in the past few weeks, been attacked by opposition parties and other stakeholders over the proposal to older mobile hospital worth US$53 million dollars. Now Chief Government spokesperson, Ronnie Shikapwasha, says the issue should not be blown out of proportion because Government is still assessing their cost effectiveness.

General Shikapwasha says Government will hear from every Zambian through an assessment committee to ascertain whether or not mobile clinics are cost-effective.
He said this May 21 when he featured on Radio Christian Voice programme on “Health delivery services in Zambia”.

“The issue of purchasing mobile clinics is misinformation. Government has not yet bought them because it is still assessing the situation before it can make a decision. If the people say they do not want them, then why buy things which people will not use,” he said.

Shikapwasha said after the committee finishes assessing the cost-effectiveness of mobile clinics, a report will be tabled before Cabinet that will decide whether the facilities should be bought or not. He said Government will carry out wide consultations on the issue of mobile clinics because some people are in support of the idea while others are against it. He said just recently, traditional rulers who represent people came out in the open to support the purchase of mobile clinics contrary to the views of some people and especially those in urban areas who feel they are not a better initiative.

Shikapwasha was responding to a caller who said it will be disobeying people’s will if Government goes ahead and buys mobile clinics when they do not want them.

“We have not bought them yet. So there is no disobedience to the people. But of course there are those in urban areas who think they are not cost-effective. All those will be considered by the committee,” he said.

Gen. Shikapwasha said the mobile clinics issue is not new to Zambia because it has been carried out by the Ministry of Health since the 1970s especially those for eye problems. He said more than 50 per cent of the people in rural areas cannot reach clinics within five kilometres and mobile clinics can help to lessen this problem. He said the Ministry of Health is considering the cost-effectiveness of mobile clinics compared with continued construction of permanent structures.

“Government has been looking at this issue and there is no need to say the President wants a cut from this. I have challenged those saying this to produce evidence but they have not up to now,” he said.

And Gen. Shikapwasha attributed the shortage of medicines in hospitals and clinics to pilfering by some officers in the Ministry of Health who own private clinics. He appealed to Zambians to report any such incidences and corrupt practices at the Ministry of Health to the Anti-Corruption Commission and other law enforcement agencies so that culprits can be dealt with accordingly.

“My appeal is that if you see civil servants building mansions, please report them to the relevant bodies that fight corruption,” he said.