16 September 2004
GOVERNMENT has not entered a deadlock with teachers to warrant a strike, Education Minister Andrew Mulenga has said.
Commenting on a looming strike by teachers, Mr Mulenga said Government and in particular, his ministry, had not refused to enter into a dialogue with the three unions representing the teachers.
"All we are saying is that Government is mobilising funds in addition to the K13 billion it released in August for teachers' housing allowance arrears. A strike action is therefore not necessary," Mr Mulenga said.
Mr Mulenga said if the unions met resistance from some officers at his ministry, he was ready to meet them himself to explain Government's position on the matter.
He said Government was determined to pay off the housing allowance arrears and appealed to teachers to remain calm.
Mr Mulenga said there was goodwill from donors and strike action, therefore, painted a picture that Government did not care about its education system.
He said though he was not supposed to engage in the negotiations with the teachers, when they had a problem it was only prudent that he got involved.
The minister welcomed the invitation of the unions to a meeting in Washington by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and expressed hope that they would explain the difficulties the Government was facing.
He was, however, saddened that the two unions, Zambia National Union of Teachers (ZNUT) and Secondary Schools Teachers Union of Zambia (SESTUZ) did not want to involve Government to facilitate their travel to Washington.
ZNUT general secretary Roy Mwaba confirmed today's meeting with the minister.
Mr Mwaba said the union had however, not resolved to stage a strike yet as it was only Lusaka teachers that had resolved to go on strike.
On the invitation to the IMF, Mr Mwaba assured Government that what the union would present would be beneficial to the country.
Meanwhile, at least 10 motor vehicles were damaged yesterday when pupils at Kabulonga Boys secondary school staged a protest against their acting deputy headmaster.
The pupils took to the streets when word went round that police had been called to arrest some of them who had earlier threatened to beat the deputy headmaster, a Mr Ng'andu.
The irate pupils blocked Kabulonga and Bishops roads and heaped stones at the traffic lights.
A Times team that rushed to the scene found heaps of stones on the roads and three senior police officers that were interrogating the head mistress, a Mrs Chilanga.
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