Undiplomatic Dora Siliya has told Zambia Union of Broadcasters and other Information Disseminators (ZUBID) and National Union of Communication Workers (NUCW) that they are not any special compared to other institutions in Zambia.
Ms Siliya (Left in yellow dress) told the two unions that they must stop thinking they are any special as compared to council workers that have gone for six months without pay.
The nine member team of union representative met Ms Siliya at her office around 10:20 hours this morning December 10, 2019, where the Minister gave them exactly 12 minutes in which to speak to her because she had other engagements.
After being briefed by the unions that they had not been paid their November salary and they were seeking her intervention, Ms Siliya said it is high time ZNBC stop thinking they are any special institutions.
She said government is implementing austerity measures and any institution should begin to feel the pinch of the austerity measures.
Speaking to The Independent Observer after the meeting, ZUBID General Secretary Andrew Mpandamwike said the purpose of the meeting was to seek for ways in which salaries could be paid.
Mr Mpandamwike (in green T-shirt) said that government owes ZNBC K7 million and what the unions expected was for the Minister of Information to speak to the Minister of Finance so that the debt owed to ZNBC could be offset.
He said this afternoon the two unions, would be meeting its members to chat the way forward.
He said ZNBC workers don’t think they are any special but they are owed and have the right to ask for what is owed to them.
“We are owed money which can pay the November salaries unlike council workers that aren’t owed money by the government. I feel the comparison was misplaced,” he said.
ZUBID was led by Mr Mpandamwike while NUCW was led by Sepo Sibutu.
