Q FM Africa's Modern Radio
Former Open Society Foundation (OSF) Executive Director Sunday Chanda has described as irresponsible and highly unconscionable threats by the Zambia Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU) to call on Members of Parliament (MPs) to vote against the 2015 Budget.
The ZCTU has warned government that it will organize countrywide mass demonstrations if government does not lift the imposed wage freeze on the civil service.
But in a statement to Qfm News, Mr. Chanda, who is also a member of ruling Patriotic Front, has observed that the ZCTU is championing an agenda that has serious ramifications on the national economy.
He says much as it is a fact that trade unions have an unwavering duty to ensure the dismantling of unequal distribution of income in the country such a duty must be informed by researched and sustainable positions and in ways not injurious to the economy.
Mr. Chanda says the role for ZCTU therefore is not to widen these gaps and reinforce inequalities the more reason he finds it shocking that the union has refused to understand its mandate to foster national development.
Mr. Chanda states that the ZCTU is therefore consciously prescribing a recipe for more inequalities and conflict within public service and among public service workers.
He states that if ZCTU had been sincere with its demands, it would have researched into the efficient ways of addressing existing inequalities and unfairness in a way that causes less or no injury to the economy but improves on the current public remuneration structure.
The OSF Executive Director has since recommended that while the wage freeze remains in effect, Cabinet and Deputy Ministers, as well as Members of Parliament should not also have any increment in their emoluments.
He says the calls for increased emoluments for Parliaments must fall off automatically in order the leaders are seen to sacrificing alongside the working class and the poor.
Mr. Chanda adds that government should further consider establishing a Remuneration Commission to deal with distortions and inequalities of last year’s upward adjustments.
He has also suggested that the ZCTU changes its leadership guard and discard leaders that have overstayed and bring on board progressive forces that will advance the interests of the working class and the poor.