Agric union cries foul over staff recruitment ban

Tue, 03 Jan 2017 08:07:52 +0000

By ANDREW MUKOMA

GOVERNMENT’S decision to only allow the ministries of Health and Education to recruit staff in 2017 has angered the Agricultural Technical and Professional Staff Union of Zambia (ATPSUZ).

ATPSUZ president Alick Chirwa said during the union’s 2nd bi-annual conference in Livingstone that it was unfortunate that Government had decided against staff recruitment in other sectors especially those that would help grow the economy.

Mr. Chirwa said that it was for that reason that the union felt that recruitment of staff should have been reconsidered so that it reduced the farmer-extension officer ratio and ultimately increase agricultural productivity.

He observed that the two ministries (Agriculture and Fisheries and Livestock) had a lot of frozen positions and unfreezing them would boost on the much needed human resource in the field.

“It is for this reason that we urge Government to quickly attend to the issues of recruitment and unfreezing of positions if the country has to diversify the economy to agriculture.

“It should be noted that the two ministries are of economic value to Zambia in nature and they need human resource to provide services, especially to farmers,” he said

Speaking at the same event as guest of honor, former Labour Commissioner John Kabwe urged the rank and file of the union to uphold dignity and integrity in their operations to promote the welfare of workers in Zambia.

Finance Minister Felix Mutati announced during the Budget presentation in Parliament that Government would in 2017 restrict recruitment of staff to only two sectors, health and education.