By KETRA KALUNGA
EIGHT years after the government cancelled the concession agreement between Zambia Railways Limited (ZRL) and Railway Systems of Zambia (RSZ), most workers have not been paid their separation packages, says the Railway Workers Union of Zambia (RWUZ).
In 2012, Government cancelled the concession agreement between ZRL and the RSZ
RWUZ president, Nathan Zulu, said the government was supposed to pay the affected workers their separation packages after the cancellation of agreement, but nothing had come forth eight years down the line. Mr. Zulu was speaking during a RWUZ women conference held on Thursday in Kabwe.
He said the RWUZ was also saddened that Government only paid some of the members who took the matter to court while the workers who remained loyal had not been paid. “This is a pure case of discrimination where one set of people who take Government to court are paid and those who decided to remain loyal are not paid,
“Is Government sending us a message that you can only get the money by taking them to court,” said Mr Zulu.
He said it was unfortunate that most workers had been waiting for eight years to be paid their separation packages when Government assured they would be paid soon after the agreement was cancelled.
Mr Zulu appealed to the ZRL management to intervene in the matter so that the workers could be paid their separation packages.
