THE VOLUNTARY SEPARATEES ASSOCIATION OF ZAMBIA HAS DISCLOSED THAT GOVERNMENT OWES ITS MEMBERS 400 BILLION KWACHA.
BUT VOLUNTARY SEPARATEES ASSOCIATION OF ZAMBIA GENERAL SECRETARY SYACHOKE SIMEMEZA SAYS GOVERNMENT HAS SHOWN POLITICAL WILL TO PAY THE MONEY AND HAS SO FAR PAID OVER 280 BILLION KWACHA AS AT DECEMBER 2010.
SPEAKING IN AN INTERVIEW WITH RADIO PHOENIX, MR SIMEMEZA SAYS THERE IS NO NEED THEREFORE FOR PEOPLE TO STAGE DEMONSTRATIONS TOMORROW BECAUSE THE ASSOCIATION HAS NOT SANCTIONED IT.
MR SIMEMEZA HAS EXPLAINED THAT GOVERNMENT IS READY TO PAY 20 BILLION KWACHA BY THE FIRST WEEK OF APRIL 2011 AND HAS ALSO ASSURED THAT IT WILL PAY OFF ALL THE REMAINING AMOUNT BEFORE THE GENERAL ELECTIONS.
HE HAS SINCE URGED HIS MEMBER NOT TO BE HOODWINKED BY THOSE WHO ARE PLANNING TO DEMONSTRATE BECAUSE THE ASSOCIATION RESPECTS AND WILL STAND BY THE ADVICE THAT WAS GIVEN BY THE MINISTRY OF FINANCE AND NATIONAL PLANNING ON THE MATTER.
MR SIMEMEZA SAYS POLICE HAVE SINCE BEEN INFORMED ABOUT THE PLANNED DEMONSTRATION.
HE ALSO SAYS 25,000 FORMER CLASSIFIED EMPLOYEES WILL HAVE THEIR CONSENT ORDER SIGNED BY FIRST WEEK OF MAY AND THEREAFTER GOVERNMENT WILL START PAYING THEIR MONEY AS WELL.
3523 CIVIL SERVANTS FROM VARIOUS GOVERNMENT MINISTRIES WENT INTO VOLUNTARY SEPARATION IN 1999 AFTER THE INTERNATIONAL MONETARY FUND AND THE WORLD BANK ASKED THE ZAMBIA GOVERNMENT TO RESTRUCTURE THE PUBLIC SERVICE TO ENABLE THE COUNTRY REACH THE HIGHLY INDEBTED POOR COUNTRY`S COMPLETION POINT HIPC.
IN 2002, THE VOLUNTARY SEPARETEES ASSOCIATION SUED GOVERNMENT AFTER ITS MEMBERS WERE UNDERPAID AND WON THE CASE IN 2006.
BUT GOVERNMENT APPEALED TO THE SUPREME COURT AND LOST THE APPEAL IN 2007.
THE SUPREME COURT ORDERED GOVERNMENT TO PAY ALL THE TERMINAL BENEFITS IN FULL.
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