Three percent salary pay rise for council workers is an insult – NDC

Comrade Eric Chanda

The National Democratic Congress (NDC) has expressed disappointment by the decision taken by the Government bargaining team to award division one to three council worker’s who include all chief officers across the country a three percent salary pay rise.

Government and unions representing local government workers have signed and sealed the 2018 collective agreement for improved perks and the revised pay hikes will be implemented beginning the month end of January.

The newly signed collective agreement will now see all division four workers in councils receiving a fifteen percent salary increment.

NDC Spokesperson Eric Chanda says his party feels that this pay rise is a mockery and insult to the over fifteen thousand local Government workers spread across the country.

Mr. Chanda argues that the cost of living in Zambia is extremely high and this decimal pay rise is nothing but a drop in the ocean and an insult to the hard working public service employees.

He says it is a well known fact that conditions of service in the public service are extremely pathetic and uninspiring unattractive.

Mr. Chanda states that the lowest paid unionized worker in the council parts away with a basic monthly pay of three thousand kwacha.