UNIONISED workers at Lusaka Water and Sewerage and Sanitation Company have threatened to go on strike if management does not address their demands.
Zambia Water and Sanitation Engineering and Allied Workers union chairperson Moses Mwale stated that workers are demanding a consolidated salary.
Mr Mwale said that management has over the years consistently refused to consolidate the workers’ salaries leading to a situation where the workers feel that their labour only goes to support management employees.
He explained that the background to the issue of the consolidated salary goes way back to about 10 years when it was offered to workers.
“The Union requested for some time to consult with the workers and when they returned to the negotiating table, management had consolidated their salaries and vehemently refused to do so for the workers.
“Since then management employees have been enjoying a consolidated salary.
“Now that the labour laws require that housing allowance stands alone on the payslip, employees are worried that management may introduce a housing allowance which will give them another undue advantage over their share of company resources because they already have a component of housing allowance in their current salaries, “he said.
Mr Mwale said that despite the workers being categorized as essential workers, management has taken advantage of the law which does not allow essential workers to go on strike and turned a deaf ear to their cries.
He noted that there were numerous issues that have remained unresolved for some years now.
He said that although management has repeatedly claimed that the company was financially stressed, in 2019 the company bought a new fleet of high range vehicles for senior management using internally generated funds.
Mr Mwale further revealed that for four years, the procurement of Personal Protective Equipment has become erratic that most of the workers wear torn out work suits and safety boots.
He has pleaded with the new minister Mike Mposha to quickly give an audience to the union and the entire LWSC workforce to hear their cries adding that workers patience is slowly running out.
By NOEL IYOMBWA
Author
