ZCTU cries foul over Govt Green paper

Cosmas-Mukuka

The Zambia Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU) says it’s prejudicial for Government to come up with the Green Paper when negotiations for salary increments and improved conditions of service are still ongoing.

ZCTU Secretary General Cosmas Mukuka has told QFM News that this overshadows the essence of the negotiations.

Mr Mukuka says Government should have held on to the Green paper until negotiations are concluded to have a clear picture of what should be contained in the 2016 national budget.

Mr. Mukuka says having the Green paper before the negotiations are concluded will erode the confidence of the people.

He adds that this also implies that what will be agreed upon during the ongoing negotiations is not what will reflect in the national budget, as people already have a draft of what the budget will look like.

He notes that the negotiations were opened before the presentation of the budget so that the budget takes into account the outcome of the negotiations.

Mr Mukuka states that it will be a stubborn position by Government if what is in the Green paper turns out to be a reality while the negotiations are actively going on.

The ZCTU Secretary General says the route taken by government to come up with a Green paper when negotiations are still ongoing is not the right.

Mr Mukuka says it is the hope of the labour movement that what will come out of the ongoing negotiations is what will be reflected in the budget and not what has been determined in the Green paper.

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