Q FM Africa's Modern Radio
Seven Teacher Unions are demanding that government engages them before any action is taken against serving public officials under the Ministry of Education who were erroneously paid various allowances amounting to over K209 million between 2017 and 2021.
The Unions have received the statement by the Minister of Finance indicating that government will institute recoveries from teachers who are purported to have received allowances erroneously with concern looking at the economic challenges the workers are going through due to a number of factors.
The teacher Union are Basic Education Teachers Unions of Zambia, Professional Teachers Union of Zambia, National Union of Public and Private Educators of Zambia, Secondary Schools Teachers Union of Zambia, Special Education Teachers Union of Zambia, United Teachers Union of Zambia and Zambia National Union of Teachers.
Speaking on behalf of the Unions, Secondary Schools Teachers Union of Zambia General Secretary Sitibekiso Wamuyuwa says the current behavior of the responsible officers managing the payroll in the education sector lives much to be desired.
Mr. Wamuyuwa has expressed fear that if government rushes to recover monies from teachers who may have received money erroneously, this may not provide a lasting solution to the current payroll mismanagement problems.
He says the allowances in question which teachers erroneously obtained could have been paid to them due to poor systems the Ministry of Education uses in handling teacher issues such as transfers and withdrawal of teachers responsibility.
Mr Wamuyuwa has since asked government to quickly call for a meeting with the teacher Unions to agree on the best way forward as the matter at hand is sensitive.