Kitwe Council verifies salary anomalies

A TECHNICAL team has been constituted to address matters pertaining to the genesis of protests by unionised workers at the Kitwe City Council on Monday.

According to information gathered by the Daily Nation yesterday, the team comprises council management officials and the Zambia United Local Authorities Workers Union (ZULAWU) leaders.

Unionised workers on Monday locked out Town Clerk Mbulo Seke, after their May salaries were reduced by varying amounts.

The workers did not receive their usual salaries after The Auditor General commenced deductions from public service workers cited in his books for misappropriation of public funds as well as irregular salaries.

As a result, this infuriated unionised workers who fasted the door to the Town Clerk’s office with wires early in the morning.

It had to take spirited efforts to cut the wires that were tightly fastened to prevent Mr Seke from entering his office.

Mr Seke explained in an interview yesterday that the verification exercise would determine the way forward on the matter.

“I am sure from this sitting, we shall be able to know which workers were getting the money or salaries they were not entitled to and which ones were supposed to get what amounts,” he said.

Mr Seke called for calm among the workers to avoid further complications.

The 2018 Auditor General’s report indicated failure to collect revenue as the highest irregularity for the financial year to the amount of K418 million.