UNZA Unions Warn over Salary Delays

The three unions represent about 1,650 workers, with UNZALARU representing about 800 lecturers and researchers, UNZAPROSU about 400 professional and administrative staff, and UNZAAWU about 450 support and allied workers.

Dr. Pumulo said the problem went beyond the actual delay in paying salaries, arguing that the situation reflected serious cash-flow difficulties affecting the university.

He said the unions recognised and appreciated Government’s efforts over the years to reduce UNZA’s long-standing debt burden.

However, Dr. Pumulo said those interventions had not yet translated into a sustainable improvement in the university’s financial position.

He said UNZA needed predictable and adequate funding to meet its obligations instead of relying on temporary interventions whenever the institution faced a cash-flow crisis.

HELSB PAYMENTS

Dr. Pumulo said one of the major sources of pressure was the delayed payment of student fees through the Higher Education Loans and Scholarships Board (HELSB).

He said a substantial proportion of UNZA students were sponsored by Government, meaning that fees for those students represented an important source of income for the university.

Dr. Pumulo said HELSB had accumulated outstanding payments to UNZA for Government-sponsored students for previous months.

“HELSB remains indebted to the University of Zambia for fees owed in respect of Government-sponsored students for the preceding months of the year,” he said.

He said delayed or irregular payments had a direct effect on the university’s ability to manage its day-to-day obligations.

According to Dr. Pumulo, the consequences went beyond salaries and included statutory obligations, union subscriptions, medical scheme contributions, payments to suppliers and other essential operational expenses.

He said when money expected by the university did not arrive on time, management was forced to deal with competing financial demands with limited cash available.

K358 MILLION CONCERN

Dr. Pumulo also raised concern over about K358 million in funds associated with Government-sponsored students’ fees.

He said the unions became aware in August 2026 of instructions concerning the use of the funds, which they understood were intended to support university operations but were instead directed towards the settlement of pension and gratuity obligations.

Dr. Pumulo said the unions had no objection to Government addressing outstanding terminal benefits but questioned the use of funds that were expected to support UNZA’s immediate operations.

He said the unions understood Government’s July 2026 commitment to address outstanding terminal benefits to mean that resources would be specifically provided for that purpose.

Dr. Pumulo warned that redirecting money intended for university operations could further weaken UNZA’s ability to meet its obligations, including paying workers on time.

GOVERNMENT GRANT

Dr. Pumulo said the Government grant remained another important source of funding for UNZA, but the amount was inadequate in relation to the university’s responsibilities.

He said the grant accounted for about 11 percent of UNZA’s total operational costs, compared with a regional average of about 56 percent.

Dr. Pumulo said the situation was made worse when the grant was not released on time.

He said the combination of delayed Government grants and irregular student-related payments had created a difficult financial environment for the university.

Dr. Pumulo said this was why the unions were calling for the Government grant to be released in a timely, predictable and adequate manner.

2027 BUDGET

The unions are also demanding increased Government funding for UNZA in the 2027 National Budget.

Dr. Pumulo said increasing the annual grant would help improve the university’s liquidity and allow it to meet its obligations without repeatedly finding itself in financial distress.

He said the unions were also calling for all outstanding HELSB invoices owed to UNZA to be settled urgently.

Dr. Pumulo said Government should also provide a special grant equivalent to the K358 million the unions say was redirected from university operations towards terminal benefits.

He said this would help restore funds needed for the university’s operations.

MOONGA: FUNDING MUST BE LOOKED AT BROADLY

Dr. Mupuna Moonga said the salary problem should not be viewed in isolation because it was connected to the broader question of how public universities were financed.

Dr. Moonga said public universities had responsibilities that extended beyond teaching students.

He said institutions such as UNZA were expected to provide quality education, conduct research and contribute to national development, while at the same time meeting the financial obligations that come with running a large institution.

Dr. Moonga said it was therefore important for the country to have a serious conversation about sustainable financing for public universities.

He said temporary interventions could provide short-term relief but would not necessarily address the underlying financial problems.

Dr. Moonga said universities needed funding arrangements that allowed them to plan ahead rather than constantly respond to financial emergencies.

MUSONDA: UNDERFUNDING AT THE HEART OF PROBLEM

Dr. SNB Chabala Musonda, UNZALARU Deputy President, said inadequate funding was at the centre of many of the problems facing UNZA.

Dr. Musonda said the university could not be expected to deliver quality education and research while struggling to meet basic financial obligations.

He said the issue should therefore not only be about why salaries were delayed in a particular month, but why the university repeatedly found itself without enough money to meet its obligations.

Dr. Musonda said adequate and predictable funding would allow UNZA to plan properly and avoid the cycle of financial pressure that ultimately affected workers, students and other service providers.

He said underfunding also had implications for the university’s ability to maintain the quality of its academic programmes, research activities and other services.

Dr. Musonda said strengthening UNZA’s financial position should therefore be treated as a matter of national importance rather than simply an internal university problem.

WORKERS WARN

Dr. Pumulo said workers could not continue carrying the burden of financial challenges over which they had no control.

He said employees had obligations to meet at home and depended on their salaries being paid on time.

“We will not accept delayed payment of salaries as a normal employment practice,” Dr. Pumulo said.

He warned that if salary delays continued, the unions would consider lawful collective action, including mobilisation of workers, in accordance with applicable laws and collective agreements.

Dr. Pumulo said the unions were not rejecting Government’s efforts to support UNZA but were asking for a more sustainable response to the institution’s financial challenges.

He called on Government, relevant ministries and agencies, and UNZA management to engage the unions in meaningful dialogue before the situation worsened.

Dr. Pumulo said UNZA was a national strategic institution and that its financial stability had implications for the wider country.

He said the welfare of workers could not be separated from the university’s ability to provide quality education, conduct research and deliver public service.

The three unions said they had raised their concerns and now expected the relevant authorities to act by releasing funds due to UNZA, increasing support to the institution and putting in place a sustainable financing framework.

Dr. Pumulo said the unions had done their part by bringing the matter into the open and were now waiting for Government and university management to do theirs.