SEVEN teacher unions have appealed to Government to engage them before effecting deductions on the workers who were wrongly paid allowances because the performance of teachers is likely to be affected.
According Zambia Daily Mail, last Friday, Minister of Finance and National Planning Situmbeko Musokowane said Government will start deducting over K200 million which was mistakenly paid to over 9,000 civil servants under the Ministry of Education.
The revelations follow an audit conducted by the Office of the Auditor General between 2017 and 2021.
The allowances captured in the auditor general’s report include housing, rural and remote hardship, double class and responsibility allowance.
All teachers are well aware that all overpayments and non-recovery of loans are supposed to be reported to Government, but we are of a strong view that Government needs to engage the teacher trade unions before any action.