By MOFFAT CHAZINGWA –

UNIONISED employees at the Copperbelt University (CBU) in Kitwe have called off for their work boycott.
The unionised employees resumed work yesterday after they started getting paid their delayed August salaries, which triggered the work boycott.
The more than 800 employees, who are members of the three CBU staff unions, namely the Copperbelt University Academic Union (CBUAU), Copperbelt University and Allied Workers Union (CBUAWU) and the Copperbelt University Senior Administration and Technical Staff Union (CBUSATSU) withdrew labour last week on Thursday over delayed salaries among other things.
CBUAU general secretary Elaston Njovu said the employees resolved to resume work yesterday following payment of August salaries.
“We had an extraordinary general meeting today (yesterday) where workers resolved to resume work because August salaries have now been paid as you know it was on the premise of delayed salaries that we took the action to withhold labour,” he said.
Mr Njovu, who spoke on behalf of the three CBU staff unions, thanked Government for having promptly responded to the grievances of the employees by quickly releasing the money for salaries.
“Right now employees are getting paid their August salaries from the respective banks and for this, we want to thank Government for the quick action and listening to our grievances,” Mr Njovu said.
He said as for other equally important matters on which the protest hinged, it was resolved that CBU management should pay all arrears for National Pension Scheme Authority (NAPSA), medical schemes,
general motor insurance schemes and other financial obligations to banking institutions.
Furthermore, Mr Njovu said, CBU management was expected to resume disbursement of NAPSA, medical schemes and others on a monthly basis.
He said another resolution passed was that CBU management should begin to prepare salaries based on the institution’s gross wage bill of K23.3 million as opposed to the net pay of K13 million.
“It is because of basing the salaries on the net pay that CBU management has been defaulting on financial obligations such as NAPSA contributions and medical schemes,” he said.
Mr Njovu sounded a warning that should the institution experience a similar incidence of delayed salaries for this month, the unions would not hesitate to pass a vote of no confidence in the vice-chancellor and his entire management team.