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The Zambia Congress of Trade Union (ZCTU) says workers in the country will be left with no option but to decampaign government for every irresponsible decision it will make that will further lead the country into debt.
In welcoming government’s achievement of getting a debt restructuring deal with its Official Creditors, ZCTU President, Blake Mulala, said its stance was because the workers always bear the debt burden either through high tax and austerity measures that come with debt management.
Mulala in a statement issued on Saturday in Lusaka said ZCTU believes that a more comprehensive approach to structural socio-economic transformation in Zambia is required beyond the debt restructuring programme.
“While the International Monetary Fund loans and debt restructuring can have some short term positive impact on the availability of resources, the accompanying austerity measures will most likely negatively affect healthcare access for vulnerable population,” he said.
Mulala also challenged Minister of Finance and National Planning Dr. Situmbeko Musokotwane to explain to the nation the next step in engaging the private lenders.
He said Zambian workers were looking forward to the outcome of the debt restructuring that supports a human-centered development.
“The labour movement is particularly pleased that with successful negotiations, there will be more fiscal space to expand spending on social services and capital projects,” Mulala said.
He said significant improvements in health services would require sustained government investment, although the IMF claims that most of the funding will go to education, health and social protection.
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