News

After a three-week work stoppage, Zamtel employees in major Zambian towns started trooping back to work. According to the National Union of Communication Workers, the workers had started reporting for duties, although not all of them were working.

(NUCW) general secretary, Clement Kasonde said: "Some of them are working. We resolved at the weekend that all workers should resume work on Monday and we hope that by tomorrow things will normalise."

Communication and Transport Minister, Dora Siliya on Monday called on all the workers to resume duties, as the strike was illegal. She said Zamtel had no capacity to increase salaries because it was operating at a loss.

Nevertheless, the unions responded workers in Zamtel had a right to negotiate for improved conditions of service and the delays and failure by management to expeditiously deal with the matter. They also expressed displeasure at the threats against the workers since some of them had received suspension letters and were not permitted to enter the Zamtel premises by senior managers who blocked the gate together with the State police.