WITH the release of the K 20 billion by Government to settle the arrears for University of Zambia (Unza) lecturers, it is hoped that no unnecessary dispute will erupt now and both parties will have learnt a lesson from the saga.

It all started from the time when lecturers asked for improved conditions of service and applied pressure on the Unza management to award what they considered a reasonable package.

Unfortunately, management agreed to award a package that was beyond Government ceiling of salary increments and when the central treasury refused to budge, lecturers decided to boycott classes.

Now, salaries and conditions of service are very sensitive and sometimes emotional matters but hopefully both parties have leant a lesson from the debacle. There has been no winner or loser.

One of the lessons is that there is no alternative to dialogue and taking a confrontational stand on any issue only helps polarise and prolong a problem.

This is especially true in matters of negotiations where two parties are involved. This means each party must be prepared to take and give and this must be done in a frank and realistic environment.

The second lesson is that parties must negotiate within the cash basket available and any attempt to go beyond what is on the table is a recipe for unrest as was witnessed at Unza.

Institutions such as Unza always attract keen public interest because of their key role in society and it is important that all stakeholders act in the best interest of protecting public interest first.

There could be the temptation by one or the other party taking advantage of the sensitivity of the institution and use it as bargaining leverage. History has, of course, shown us that this does not work.

The other lesson is that constant disruption of academic calendars tends to reduce the credibility of a learning institution and for now, not many parents or even adults would-be students are keen to learn at Unza.

Academic calendars have become so unpredictable because if operations are not disrupted by industrial unrest, then it is the restive students protesting against one thing or another.

Many go there because there are very limited options for university education around and this is not a good reputation. The issue is, there must be maximum restraint by all stakeholders before taking any disruptive action but at the same time, there must also be maximum commitment to taking decisions, policies and actions that will move the institution forward.

For now, the public hopes that lessons have been learnt.