SILENCE OVER EXPIRED COLLECTIVE AGREEMENT ANGERS ZNUT

Fri, 25 Aug 2017 14:11:26 +0000

By Chite Mtonga

THE Zambia National Union of Teachers (ZNUT) says Government’s silence on the renewal of the collective agreement which expired in July is illegal.

ZNUT deputy secretary-general David Banda said that the collective agreement which the union entered into with Government expired in June and both parties agreed to extend it up to July 30.

Mr. Banda said that it was illegal for Government to remain silent when the agreement had expired and negotiations had not been concluded.

He said that the union had last met Government representatives in the last week of July. “We met government officials in the last week of July where they said they would soon get back to us, but they have remained silent up to now, the collective agreement we have expired on 30th July and they cannot just remain quiet, by law this is illegal.

“We are even becoming unpopular among our members because of these delays, our role is to bargain on behalf of our members but government is not helping us because they are taking long to conclude negotiations,” he said.

Mr. Banda appealed to Government to conclude negotiations instead of remaining silent on issues that were important to effective service delivery.

He said that Government should at least communicate to the union on whether there was need to go for more negotiations.