National Union of Public and Private Educators of Zambia ( NUPPEZ ) General Secretary (GS) Nelson Mwale has expressed concern over the low levels of reading culture among civil servants.
Mr. Mwale notes that his Union is concerned that rather than obtaining comprehensive information in contained in the government’s yellow book for example, majority of civil servants tend to rely on social media as gospel truth.
He adds that some people have taken information from social media as ‘gospel truth’ because of not reading yet documents are there to be accessed.
Addressing teachers and civil servants in a meeting held at Zimba Secondary school today, the NUPPEZ Secretary General urged the workers against depending on social media for information.
“Civil servants please, find time to read some of these important pieces of legislation. It is helpful to read and understand on your own than going to social media where you will be miss-led,” Mr. Mwale said.
He argued that pieces of legislation surrounding employment and terms of conditions for workers are hardly read and comprehended by most civil servants.
Section 269 of the Labour and Industrial Act as well as the Employment Code-3 of 2019 contains articles on the rights and welfare of workers which should be understood and comprehensively read by any employee of government but apparently workers hardly read these documents.
Meanwhile, Mr. Mwale who was flanked by Secondary School Teachers Union Of Zambia (SESTUZ) Senior Trustee Simon Lwenje, called for the decentralization of the Public Service Micro-finance Bank from urban to rural areas.
Mr. Mwale, says the Bank offers a minimal five percent interest which can absorb more government workers than any other financial lending institution in the country.
The Bank is allegedly only accessible in Lusaka hence putting civil servants desiring it’s services in an awkward situation.
The two union leaders promised that they would engage government through Cabinet Office on the matter so that the Bank can spread its operations in rural areas.
