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ZUFIAW’s demand comes after the recruitment of 570 ZRA employees who have resigned from the employer’s in-house union, the Zambia Revenue Authority Workers’ Union (ZRAWU).

Joyce Nonde, General Secretary of ZUFIAW, says her union has been fighting to recruit workers at ZRA for over 10 years.

The matter ended up in court which later referred the two parties to mediation. In March 2009, a mediation settlement ruled that workers who had resigned from ZRAWU should formally write to the general secretary.

Ms. Nonde says the workers wrote their resignation letters as directed by the mediation settlement and in November 2009 ZUFIAW submitted a recognition agreement to ZRA management.

She says due to management’s delaying tactics and lack of respect for the law, in January this year ZRA responded by demanding that employees who had joined ZUFIAW should write personal letters to management, which they have since done.

ZRA has now informed ZUFIAW that the recognition would have to wait until they have consulted with other stakeholders due to the sensitive nature of the Zambia revenue Authority.

But the ZUFIAW has rejected ZRA’s reasons for not recognizing the union and is demanding that a recognition agreement be signed.

“We represent more sensitive institutions such as the Bank of Zambia and other banks. What is more sensitive about ZRA which just collects revenue and hands it over to government? And which other stakeholders does ZRA want to consult when the law requires just a minimum of 25 employees to form a union?” asked ZUFIAW’s General Secretary.

“The law demands that upon workers deciding to join a union, employers should recognize the union within three months. ZRA have been suppressing their workers’ interest to join the union. Management has no respect for the law,” she said.