By Isaac Zulu in Kapiri Mposhi
The 12 percent salary increment that has been effected by the UPND government will help mitigate the economic challenges that our teacher members have been facing, says Masiye Kennedy Theo.
In an interview, Theo, who is Basic Education Teachers’ Union of Zambia (BETUZ) Kapiri Mposhi district vice chairman, explained that the BETUZ general membership in the area has welcomed the salary increment that has been effected by the new government has come at the right time, considering the fact that civil servants have had no “meaningful salary increments ever since the demise of late President Michael Sata.”
“Generally, I would say that the BETUZ general membership in Kapiri Mposhi district has come to understand, appreciate and welcome the 12 per cent salary increment that the UPND government has effected in the year 2022,” explained Theo. “The last time we received a substantial salary increment that went up to 200 per cent was during the Michael Sata goverment. Thereafter, we have not received any meaningful salary increment. All the salary increments that we have been receiving in the previous regime have not been substantial, they have been below 10 per cent. So this 12 per cent salary increment that has been effected by the UPND government will go a long way in cushioning the economic challenges that the teachers in Kapiri Mposhi district have been facing; especially that we have our union members getting highly indebted following the non substantial salary increments over the years. This is because most of our teacher members resorted to acquiring loans from commercial banks and other lending institutions.”
Theo further called on BETUZ members to remain loyal to the goverment of the day and support to the UPND administration in its quest to deliver on its development agenda.
“In the same vein, I would like to urge our BETUZ members in Kapiri Mposhi to support the goverment of the day. As civil servants we have a duty to support the goverment of the day,” said Theo.
Meanwhile, Theo has expressed disappointment at the tendency by successful “regimes to make salary increments for civil servants to be a public issue.”
“I always get disappointed to note that it is only civil servants’ salary increments that are made public. And by the way, people should know that civil servants are not only teachers,” explained Theo. “I don’t get to know the salary increments for ZESCO workers or other parastatal institutions and private companies.”
