THE Federation of Free Trade Unions of Zambia has warned that it will hold mass nationwide demonstrations if the government fires unionised Copperbelt University employees who are protesting against management.
And FFTUZ president Chingati Msiska says President Edgar Lungu must control his ministers who are bringing the government into disrepute through careless statements.
In a statement, Msiska stated that there were better ways of addressing the conflict between the government and lecturers at the Copperbelt University.
“It is very sad that the nurses were fired and the labour movement remained within the confines of the law. But if the Honourable minister wants to push the labour movement any further, we shall respond by carrying out mass demonstrations against victimisation of our members,” Msiska stated. “We appeal to the President to control such ministers who put the image of government into disrepute in the eyes of the general public. We have systems in place to guide relations between government and other stakeholders, and as such, we should not employ totalitarian tendencies in the way we govern our people.”
He stated that threats by chief government spokesperson Chishimba Kambwili to fire lecturers at the university would only aggravate the situation.
“We, therefore, stand together with Zambia Congress of Trade Unions – ZCTU – and condemn the threats issued by the Hon Minister of Information and Broadcasting. As a labour movement, we shall not let our fellow workers be threatened with dismissal when there is room for constructive dialogue,” stated Msiska.
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