By Jane Chanda
The Zambia Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU) has expressed concern over the insufficient allocation of funds to key sectors such as agriculture and water sanitation in the 2025-2027 Medium Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF).
In an interview with Daily Revelation, ZCTU president Blake Mulala noted that the MTEF’s allocation of K1.2 billion for agricultural infrastructure development and K500 million for agricultural research and development may not benefit small-scale farmers and agricultural workers.
“We need to see more support for small-scale farmers and agricultural workers, who are critical to the country’s food security and economic growth,” he said.
Mulala also emphasised the need for improved labor rights protection, calling for the implementation of the minimum wage and improved working conditions for public servants.
“We need to see the government implement the minimum wage and improve working conditions for public servants, who are critical to delivering essential services to citizens,” he said.
The ZCTU president expressed concern that the social sector allocations may not be sufficient to address challenges in education and healthcare, and called for increased private sector engagement and public-private partnerships to enhance trade and investment opportunities.
Mulala said the MTEF and Green Paper showed promise, but more needed to be done to address the challenges facing workers, small-scale farmers, and agricultural workers.
“We need to see more commitment to addressing the challenges facing our members and the broader workforce, and we will continue to engage with the government to ensure that workers’ rights are protected,” he said.
Mulala further said ZCTU would continue to advocate for policies that benefited workers and small-scale farmers.
“We will not rest until we see tangible improvements in the lives of our members and the broader workforce. We urge the government to take our concerns seriously and work with us to address them,” he said.
On the issue of public-private partnerships, Mulala noted that while they could be beneficial, they must be carefully managed to ensure that they do not exploit workers.
“We support public-private partnerships, but they must be done in a way that benefit workers and small-scale farmers, not just big business. We will be watching closely to ensure that workers’ rights are protected,” said Mulala.
