Unionists threaten strike action

Trade unionists in Zambia have threatened industrial action if the government goes ahead with plans to impose a six-month wage freeze on civil servants' salaries. Earlier this month the authorities said the austerity measure was part of broader economic reforms aimed at reigning in government overspending. Last year President Levy Mwanawasa's government incurred a budget overrun of 610 billion kwacha (about US $130 million), resulting in the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and other donors withholding US $175 million in funding. Since then the country has embarked on a number of fiscal reforms recommended by the IMF, in a bid to get the country to qualify for debt relief under the Highly Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) initiative. Should Zambia reach the HIPC completion point - delayed by six months to June, it would be eligible for US $2.8 billion of its US $6.2 billion debt to be written off. But the Zambia Congress of Trade Unionists (ZCTU) told IRIN that civil servants would not tighten their belts any further. "We are saying a wage freeze is a recipe for industrial unrest. As workers, we are seeing no benefits from the sacrifices that workers are being asked to undertake. Already civil servants are poorly paid in this country - a freeze on wage increments will deal a severe blow to those already struggling to keep a roof over their heads. The government should look first at the hefty salaries enjoyed by ministers and deputy ministers, instead of junior workers in the civil service," said ZCTU general-secretary, Sylvester Tembo. Darison Chaala of the Civil Servants and Allied Workers Union complained that its members were not consulted about the wage freeze. "We expected some element of dialogue before the announcement was made. It is unfair to unilaterally impose such an action on workers, without consulting with other stakeholders." However, on Wednesday a senior official in the ministry of labour told IRIN that the government was still in negotiations with unionists over a "number of issues". "At the moment there is no policy in place which would mean the freezing of civil servants' salaries, but there are ongoing talks between authorities and workers. Based on these negotiations it will be determined what employees can manage," said Josephine Matoma, permanent secretary in the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs. In 2003 civil servants downed tools over demands for a pay rise and housing allowance. The government had agreed to a salary hike and housing benefits for public workers earlier in the year but, faced with a projected budget overrun and pressure from donors to close the deficit, the government delayed implementation of the agreement.