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Two trade unions at the University of Zambia have called on the government to settle more than K1.3 billion owed to current and former employees in outstanding gratuities, pension payments and superannuation benefits, warning that continued delays could threaten industrial harmony.
The University of Zambia Professional Staff Union (UNZAPROSU) and the University of Zambia Allied Workers Union (UNZAAWU) said on Tuesday that failure to address long-standing arrears and other unresolved matters risked disrupting operations at the country’s largest public university.
Speaking at a media briefing in Lusaka, UNZAPROSU President, Likezo Pumulo, said the institution continued to face severe financial constraints, largely attributed to inadequate government funding.
He said the Higher Education Loans and Scholarship Board owed the university about K115 million, which he urged authorities to clear immediately.
Pumulo said unpaid gratuities dating back to 2016 and superannuation benefits outstanding since 2012 had remained unresolved despite repeated engagements.
He added that the unions were concerned that other public-sector beneficiaries, including Members of Parliament, were expected to receive their gratuities on schedule while UNZA employees continued to wait.
He said the unions believed the matter required stronger political commitment, describing the university’s financial pressure as a threat to national human-resource development.
Pumulo also said negotiations for improved conditions of service for 2026 had not begun, despite Section 69(1)(a) of the Industrial and Labour Relations Act requiring parties to start talks three months before the expiry of an existing collective agreement.
He noted that the 2025 agreements had already lapsed.
He criticised delays in issuing negotiation parameters, saying they were affecting workers’ morale and could lead to disruptions in the university calendar if not resolved.
The unions urged the government to intervene urgently to prevent further deterioration of industrial relations at the institution.
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