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The Secondary School Teachers Union of Zambia (SESTUZ) has called on the government to expedite regulations on the registration of teacher unions to prevent further fragmentation within the labour movement.
SESTUZ General Secretary, Anthony Mukanda, stated that the unchecked registration of trade unions was undermining the credibility and effectiveness of the labour movement in advocating for workers’ rights.
Mukanda told Zambia Monitor in an interview that a polarized labour movement complicated engagement with employers, diluting collective bargaining power.
He acknowledged that the Constitution of Zambia guarantees the right to association and the formation of unions under Article 21 but emphasized the need for the government to exercise caution.
Mukanda argued that the article also imposed limitations, which must guide the government’s regulatory approach to avoid actions that weaken labour unity.
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The SESTUZ leader highlighted 2024 as a particularly unstable year for the trade union sector, marked by the proliferation of teacher unions.
He described the unchecked registration of unions as a confusing phenomenon for workers, eroding trust and confidence in labour leaders.
Mukanda emphasized that every union should operate under a clear, well-defined framework to enhance its legitimacy.
He warned that the continued fragmentation of the labour movement would only harm workers, leaving them as casualties in a system plagued by division and inefficiency.
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