By PERPETUAL SICHIKWENKWE –

TWENTY-SIX Kafue District health board workers have sued Attorney General Mumba Malila demanding salary arrears and other allowances backdated to 1994.

The employees, of whom eight have been retired and two have died, want the Lusaka High Court to order that they be paid all unpaid night allowances for drivers, terminal benefits for those retired, leave pay for those retired, repatriation allowances
and pension benefits.

The employees, led by Musukuma Chisanga, stated in their statement that they were employed by Kafue District health board under the Ministry of Health on different dates between 1994 and 1998 and held various positions but all on permanent and pensionable terms.

They said that they were all unionised and their terms and conditions of service were contained in a collective agreement.

The workers said from the dates of their engagement, they were not placed on the payroll until 2001, and were not paid any of their salaries for the period until 2001.

They stated that they were informed by the board that they would be paid their salaries for the period from employment to 2001 in arrears but they had not been paid to date while other employees had been paid.

They said in addition to the salary arrears, in terms of clause 4.18 of the collective agreement and a letter dated June 8, 2005 from the provincial health director, they were entitled to housing, overtime for drivers and night allowances.

The workers said according to the letters of retirement given to the eight, they were entitled to terminal benefits, leave pay, repatriation allowances and pension benefits.

They said contrary to the entitlements, Government had failed or refused to pay them the said entitlements despite pursuing the matter, through their union representatives and the Kafue District health board director, with the provincial health officer and the ministry headquarters.

They said because of this, they had suffered loss and damage.