12/01/2025
*THE 2% OF BASIC SALARY TRADE UNION MONTHLY SUBSCRIPTION. WHAT IS IT FOR?*
22nd November, 2022
By Wilfred Musape *(The Union Perspective)*
The Public Service Management Division (PSMD) currently has 18 trade unions that emanates from the 6 Public Service Commissions established by the Public Service Commission Act No. 10 of 2016 namely;
1. The Judicial Service Commission *(for Judiciary workers)*
2. The Civil Service Commission *(for Health workers and others)*
3. The Teaching Service Commission *(for Teachers)*
4. The Zambia Correctional Service Commission *(for Correctional workers)*
5. The Zambia Police Service Commission *(for Police)*
6. The Local Government Service Commission *(for council workers and others)*
Henceforth, all the 18 public service trade unions unanimously in a long time now have been deducting a 2% union subscription of the basic salary of every public worker who happens to be a member of that union through their pay slips in accordance with the Industrial and Labour Relations Act (ILRA), Chapter 269 of Laws of Zambia subsection 22 (1) which states that *“An employer may by agreement with an eligible employee, to deduct the amount of subscription prescribed by the constitution of the trade union from the wages of such eligible employee if the employee is a member of such trade union”.*
*WHAT IS THE 2% FOR?*
Firstly, it is worth mentioning that a trade union is equated to the status of a government ministry such as the Ministry of Education as it is expected to work side by side with the Ministry of Education from *School, District, Province and National* level using its own resources mobilized from the member’s monthly subscription in the following ways on daily basis;
The first usage of the 2% union monthly subscription is to affiliate a *25% of from the total subscriptions* collected from all members to the trade union mother bodies such as the Zambia Congress of Trade Union (ZCTU), Federation of Free Trade Union in Zambia (FFTUZ) and Confederation of Trade Union in Zambia (COTUZ).
The second usage of the 2% union monthly subscription is to pay *income tax* at the current rate as prescribed in the national budget of every year of the the total subscriptions collected from union members to the Zambia Revenue Authority (ZRA).
The third usage of the 2% union monthly subscription is to affiliate a prescribed percentage to *International Labour Organization* of from the total subscriptions collected from all members in that trade union.
The other usage of the 2% union monthly subscription is to pay monthly *rentals and maintain of union offices* from district to national level.
Another usage of the 2% union monthly subscription is to *purchase and maintain all union vehicles* bought for the operations of the union at district to national level.
The other usage of the 2% union monthly subscription is to pay salaries of full time auxiliary workers such as *accounts, secretaries, general workers, office orderlies, drivers, mechanics* present from the province to national level as well as their pensions when they retire.
Another usage of the 2% union monthly subscription is to pay salaries to full time union employees at province to national level which include *Deputy Directors, Directors, General Secretaries and their Deputies* as well as their pensions when they retire as they don't draw any salaries from the government whilst working full time at the union.
The other usage of the 2% union monthly subscription is to purchase and distribute union regalia bought for members either at *Women's day or Teacher's day* which in the actual sense is outside the mandate of unions.
Another usage of the 2% union monthly subscription is to pay *allowances* to National Executive Committee (NEC) members and Provincial Executive Committee (PEC) members who work in the unions as part time employees since they are on government salaries.
Another usage of the 2% union monthly subscription is to fund *District Executive Committees (DEC) in the 116 districts* across the country for the operation of districts on a monthly basis.
The other usage of the 2% union monthly subscription is to attend to member needs whenever called upon such as *sickness, funerals, studies, courts* and many more.
Another usage of the 2% union monthly subscription is to pay for attending all *meetings called upon by the Government* that requires union involvement from the District to National level in terms of transport, lunch and lodging were necessary to the extent of going outside the country.
The meetings ranges from *Disciplinary, Examinations, Recruitments, Promotions, Transfers* and many more. Henceforth, if union leadership does not show up for these meetings, the meetings proceed with or without union in attendance at the expense of the intended benefetiaries who happens to be teachers.
Lastly, but not the least the other usage of the 2% union monthly subscription is to invest in membership empowerments programs such *as loans, land empowerment* and many more.
*SHOULD THE 2% BE REDUCED?*
Colleagues, any calls to have the union subscription reduced from 2% to any percentage are misplaced as it will make the running of unions from District to National *incapacitated and fail to meaningfully participate* in any program once called upon by government at whatever level. This is *(AWEAH-Yo Maps Song)* as it will make teachers have poor representation by unions in government meetings.
A clear reference point can be made on the move made by government to reduce *school fees in 2019 to K600.* Colleagues, from 2019 to 2021 we saw how schools became empoverished to the point of failing to buy tissue and paper due to inadequate funds. This forced some HeadTeachers to deep the figures in their pockets to bail out the schools.
On the hand, the *Mission Schools* refused to reduce school fees arguing that *cheap is expensive* as maintaining high standards in schools requires a good amount of the monies. True, to their arguments the mission schools are still ticking in terms of performance and standards because of the huge injection of monies from the parents. So do we want teacher unions to become empoverished for them to do more? *(AWEAH- YO MAPS SONG).*
Fortunately, the once empoverished government schools courtesy of *New Dawn Government* have received *school grants 4 times* in *2022 meaning each paid K200 x 4 = K800* at secondary schools. Today schools can afford to buy tissue and paper with ease without the Head Teachers deeping the hands in their pockets. So do we want teacher unions to become empoverished for them to do more? *(AWEAH- YO MAPS SONG).*
In conclusion, monies brings high standards in life, *the more the monies the higher the standards the lower the monies the lower standards.* So any move aimed at taking us backward to a situation where teachers unions were empoverished should not be tolerated. So do we want teacher unions to become empoverished for them to do more? *(AWEAH- YO MAPS SONG).*
We need to promote high standards that comes at a greater cost. So instead of advocating for reduction of teacher union subscription let us all call for more *ACCOUNTABILITY AND TRANSPARENCY* from all teacher union leaders as they use the members subscriptions at any level from District to National.
So do we want teacher unions to become empoverished for them to do more? *(AWEAH- YO MAPS SONG).*
Let us all reflect as teachers before calling for the calls to reduce 2% subscription when our colleagues in *Health and Judiciary* are quite about it because of wanting to maintain high standards *in unionism as unionism is politics in another sphere.* Therefore, it calls for self introspection as to whatever the reduction of 2% will make teacher unions better or worse from the current situations.
So do we want teacher unions to become empoverished for them to do more? *(AWEAH- YO MAPS SONG).*
*Zikomo chintu chabwino maningi*
