Mon, 29 May 2017 12:39:49 +0000
ANY right-thinking person would be suspicious of the so-called “Black Friday” campaign being launched by the Zambia United Local Authorities Workers Union (ZULAWU) allegedly to persuade Government to address challenges local authorities are facing in the country.
We, too, are suspicious of the motive of the crusade where local authority workers in the whole republic will be required to wear black T-shirts every Friday of the week to advance their cause. This is because we are not aware of any dispute between Government and council employees.
If fact what we are aware of is that Government, on its own and without any persuasion by anybody, decided to put all categories of local authorities’ workers on Government payroll so that they receive their salaries on time and regularly just as civil servants do.
This was in response to complaints by council employees that some local authorities were failing to meet their wage bills and that many council workers have not been paid for several months, sometimes up to one year in some cases.
In addition, Government has committed itself to improve conditions of service of council employees and ensuring that local authorities were funded regularly. We are also aware that Government is ready to talk to ZULAWU or any stakeholder with the view to improve service delivery in councils.
Now what is this ‘‘Black Friday’’ all about which is supposed to press or arm-twist Government to ‘‘centralize’’ the payroll system of all council workers in the country – something that has already been done?
ZULAWU deputy general secretary Emmanuel Mwinsa says the crusade, which will no doubt raise many eye-brows, was not political and no-one should misunderstand it because it was ‘‘purely an issue between ZULWU and Government’’.
The point is local authorities are not ZULAWU’s personal-to-holder institutions. They are fundamental organs of local communities which run ‘‘government’’ at local level. They are intended to be run and managed by chosen representatives of local communities to deliver services and drive the national development agenda at community level.
Council workers are employed by local authorities to implement their programmes and strategies for development. It is therefore inconceivable that council workers can decide to engage on such a highly risky undertaking as ‘‘Black Friday’’ without consulting other stakeholders. Has ZULAWU engaged council managements or the central government to explain the meaning and intent of the crusade?
As far as we know there is no dispute between ZULAWU and Government necessitating the union to take such drastic measures. Local Government minister Vincent Mwale operates an open-door policy and is believed to be one of the most easy-going Cabinet ministers, ever ready to listen and consult.
What has ZULAWU done to find out from Government, especially the ministries of Local Government and Finance, if ever the union is concerned about any delay to implement the centralised payroll system as promised by Government? Who has the union engaged over the matter and did not give them a satisfactory answer?
Our worry is that there is so much political tension in the country that any public expression of discontent or protest must be handled with extreme care. ZULAWU may think that their campaign is innocent and will not arouse political sentiments. But who knows?
Most of the public demonstrations, or mass movements, which later turned violent started as ‘‘innocent’’ crusades or campaigns against government. All of a sudden it could spiral into something ugly for which the organisers will regret.
We wish to advise ZULAWU to think again about its ‘‘Black Friday’’. To us and many others the choice of the word smells trouble. Many ‘‘Black Fridays’’ we know have ended very badly.
