University of Zambia lecturers have called off their go-slow after holding fruitful meetings with the Ministry of Labour, the union, and the university management.

The decision follows UNZA management’s application to the Labour Commissioner to terminate the union’s recognition agreement.

University of Zambia Lecturers and Researcher’s Union (UNZALARU) secretary general Dr Kelvin Mambwe disclosed this in a statement, Tuesday.

“We would like to inform students and the general public that at a Special General Meeting of the University of Zambia Lecturers and Researcher’s Union (UNZALARU) held this afternoon, the membership unanimously resolved to call off the go-slow that was initiated last week. This decision follows a fruitful meeting held this morning between the Labour Commissioner and representatives of both management of the University of Zambia and UNZALARU, one that was occasioned by management’s application to the Labour Commissioner to terminate the Recognition Agreement with the Union,” Dr Mambwe stated.

He stated that after engagements with the Labour Commission, the union and management were advised to resolve their differences through dialogue.

“In a ruling that was welcomed by both management and UNZALARU, the Labour Commissioner guided the two parties to resolve their differences through dialogue and resume good faith negotiations on all points of disagreements. In this spirit, the membership decided that it would be appropriate to call off the go-slow to pave way for the said dialogue,” Dr Mambwe stated.

And he commended university management for agreeing to return to the negotiating table as earlier requested.

“UNZALARU would like to express its gratitude to the Labour Commissioner, Mr. Kaziya Chanda, for his fair settlement of the dispute and to the media for giving coverage to the concerns of the union membership. We would also like to commend the university management for agreeing to return to the negotiating table, as the union had all-along requested,” stated Dr Mambwe.

“We welcome this positive turnaround on the part of management and hope that it serves as a foundation for the cultivation of a more harmonious relationship, established on mutual respect and trust. It is our considered view that co-operation between unions and their representatives and representatives of management is crucial to the smooth running of our cherished university, and is not something that should be hastily discarded by either party in order to achieve a perceived short-term advantage. We look forward to this dialogue beginning and being conducted in a co-operative spirit.”