UNZA lecturers take strike action

Lectures and researchers at the University of Zambia (UNZA) have  gone on go-slow due to failure by management to honour contractual agreements.

UNZA Lecturers and Researchers Union (UNZALARU) president Euston Chiputa announced the go-slow during a press briefing this morning.

Dr. Chiputa says academic staff at the institution have resolved to go-slow due to several reasons amongst them UNZA management’s failure to meet contractual obligations in terms of terminal benefits, gratuity and excess teaching allowance.

He adds that government’s refusal for UNZA to charge cost-relative student fees and failure to pay on time in full fees for the students that they sponsor through the government bursary schemes are other reasons for the go-slow.

Dr. Chiputa has observed that the continued underfunding to the university has resulted in, what he describes as an ever-worsening work environment for staff members.

The UNZALARU president says this is evident by the dilapidated infrastructure at the country’s highest learning institution and lack of equipment and teaching resources.

The UNZA academic staff has since called on government to take immediate action to remedy the situation.

Dr. Chiputa says staff members are demanding that UNZA managemnet immediately pay all contractual obligations and that governemt immediately pay all outstanding fees for students on GRZ sponsorship.