PF incompetence manifesting – Mundi
By Staff Reporter
A Socialist Party member, Graster Mundi says the party is not surprised with the incompetence exhibited by government over non-payment of salaries to public service workers.
In an interview over the weekend with newsdayzambia.com Mundi who is also Mandevu Constituency SP coordinator said the suspension of 74 council workers in Kabwe and Zampost workers on the Copperbelt was just the beginning of worse forms of worker exploitation to come.
He said the socialists had always held a view that workers in Zambia and indeed any other capitalist led state, shall remain sacrificial lambs for the ineptitude of the falling capitalist system.
“You can’t fail to pay workers for 7 months and still have the guts to punish them when they react! If this is not a case of slave master’s verses slaves, what then is it? Mundi questioned.
He said PF government was sending people on the streets while at the same time making upward adjustments on electricity tariffs, which would have spiral effect on all other social services.
“This is why the socialist party has kept reminding workers on the need to unite! Their freedom will not be given to them by their class enemy, it has to be gained by their collective effort, and that effort is nothing other than crystallizing their own power base under a workers’ party,” Mundi said
Last week 74 Kabwe Municipal council workers were suspended for allegedly participating in the illegal three-day strike action.
And Zambia United Local Authorities’ Workers Union (ZULAWU) Kabwe branch chairperson, Ronald Kapinga confirmed that all council workers, including union leaders who had a peaceful demonstration had received their suspension letters.
Council assistant Public Relations Manager Waluka Mwaekwa said the workers were charged with the offence of riotous behavior, acting violently and omission which intentionally endangers the health or safety of others.
Kapinga told newsdayZambia.com that the union leadership was trying to sort out the issue with the relevant authorities.
“We are trying to follow the procedure of writing and also responding to the authorities,” he said.
And Zampost Management also issued suspension letters to 12 of its workers for participating in a countrywide sit-in protest over unpaid salaries.
Zampost offices in Kitwe, Chingola and Chililabombwe districts on the Copperbelt Province and other provinces were closed by unionized staff in protest of their unpaid 7 months salaries.
Zampost Postmaster General Brighton Ngoma said the current work stoppage by Zampost workers was illegal adding that management was doing everything possible to ensure that salaries to workers were paid on time.
