27 September 2008
The Government has assured unionised employees at the University of Zambia (UNZA) that it will next month release in full the K20 billion supplementary budget to meet their new salaries and conditions of service.
Education Permanent Secretary, Lillian Kapulu said in an interview in Lusaka that the Government was committed to releasing the funds in full as earlier agreed on and called on the employees at the university to take her word.
Lecturers and researchers at UNZA earlier during the week resolved not to resume work when the institution reopens on Monday next week until the new collective agreement is fully implemented.
Ms Kapulu said the Government in the agreement had promised to release the money in the fourth quarter, which starts next month.
"Government remains committed to releasing the K20 billion supplementary budget in full to UNZA and I can reaffirm this commitment," she said.
To show the Government's commitment to release the funds to UNZA, the permanent secretary said that the Government had so far released K20 billion to clear some of the outstanding bills at UNZA.
Ms Kapulu said the Government was also going to release grants to all universities in Zambia next month
University of Zambia Lecturers and Researchers Union (UNZALARU) general secretary, Fenson Mwape said yesterday that it would be difficult for the workers to resume work without a written commitment from the Government that the money would be released.
Dr Mwape said in the past, there were several promises, which had been made but not fulfilled leading to the industrial unrest and subsequent closure of the university.
UNZA management has said it could only implement the collective agreement fully when the K20 billion supplementary budget funds were released.
UNZA went on recess on July 30, following the action by unionised employees who included lecturers to down tools for over one month.
The workers were demanding implementation of the new collective agreement signed with management.
The recess was for three weeks but was, however, extended indefinitely.
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