UNZA WORKERS TO CONTINUE PROTESTING DESPITE RELEASE OF OVER K200 MILLION TOWARD PAYMENTS

 The University of Zambia Lecturers and Researchers’ Union -UNZALARU- has vowed that the three university unions will continue with their protests until the government gives a clear roadmap on how the K1.3 billion owed to them will be settled.

This is despite Education Minister Douglas Siakalima announcing last week that the government has released over K200 million for UNZA payments, from the total K1.3 billion owed to workers at the institution over a 9-year period.

In an interview with Phoenix News, UNZALARU Secretary General, Kelvin Mambwe says the K200 million released by the government does not meet the unions’ demand for K250 million as minimum to be released in order to clear everyone who is owed.

Dr. Mambwe explains that the money is also meant to be split, with K131 million to be paid to retirees and K75 million to go towards payment of gratuities, which is against the union’s demands.

He says the unions will therefore continue with their sitting peace protest today because they have made it clear that they would only accept a minimum payment of K250 million, and the conditions attached on how the funds will be distributed are not fully serving the institution and do not address the concerns of the unions.

The unions include University of Zambia Lecturers and Researchers’ Union-UNZALARU-, University of Zambia Professional Staff Union-UNZAPROSU- and University of Zambia Allied Workers Union–UNZAAWU.