By Joseph Kaputula
The Emoluments Commission of Zambia has clarified that upgrading academic qualifications does not automatically qualify civil servants for salary increments.
Responding to concerns that some teachers remain in the same salary bracket even after upgrading their academics, Commission Director of Research and Remuneration Rilla Hansaali explains that emoluments are paid based on the job requirements and not academic qualifications.
Speaking when she featured on the Friday’s edition of Let the People Talk program oh Phoenix FM, Ms. Hansaali explained that teachers who upgrade their qualifications can only receive higher salaries when there is a vacant and funded position that requires those advanced qualifications, noting that in the absence of such positions, employees may have to wait for suitable opportunities before benefiting from higher pay.
Meanwhile, Ms. Hansaali has dismissed claims that the commission has crippled traditional collective bargaining by imposing strict parameters on salary negotiations and other conditions of service.
She explained that the commission only provides guidelines on emoluments and does not directly participate in collective bargaining processes.
Ms. Hansaali further stated that the commission’s role is to request proposals on emoluments from relevant authorities every two years, adding that delays in submitting the proposals are what often create the impression that collective bargaining processes are being delayed.
PHOENIX NEWS
