THE Civil Servants and Allied Workers Union of Zambia (CSAWUZ) General Secretary, Makai Makai, has disclosed that the Union has heightened efforts to enhance workers education among civil servants.
Speaking when he called on Luapula Province Deputy Permanent Secretary, Prudence Chinama, at the Provincial Administration in Mansa today, Mr Makai observed that many civil servants had limited knowledge of how the civil service operates and its incentives.
Mr Makai noted that there is therefore a need for more sensitisation and education on the general overview of the civil service and what it means to be a civil servant.
“For instance, as civil servants, we are not supposed to be partisan, and we discourage our members from being involved in politics and concentrate on implementing government policies,” he said.
Mr Makai also commended the UPND administration for creating an enabling environment for the civil servants to operate freely without any intimidation.
“This we should commend the new dawn administration because the civil service is operating professionally without intimidation from political elements. This is how it should be where civil servants operate without fear of political intimidation or victimisation,” said Mr Makai.
He further disclosed that the Union has welcomed the civil servants’ examinations.
“This has come at a right time when we need people with the right qualifications in their field of expertise. This is not an issue that civil servants should worry about but rather welcome,” said Mr Makai.
Meanwhile, Ms Chinama welcomed the initiative by the Union to sensitise and educate civil servants.
“I have noticed that during disciplinary committees, most of the civil servants don’t know about their rights because they don’t read. This is very good because it will ease our work,” she said.
Ms Chinama noted that the worker’s education will make the civil service improve its work culture and civil servants responsible.
“This will greatly improve and enhance our officers’ knowledge and avoid being partisan. It will also lessen cases of poor service delivery and also reduce cases of abrogating laws in the civil service,” she said.
The Civil Servants and Allied Workers Union of Zambia is in the province for a two-day Third Provincial Conference.
