Public Service Workers Union

The Public Service Workers Union hereby extends its profound commendation to His Excellency Mr. Hakainde Hichilema, President of the Republic of Zambia, for assenting to the National Pension Scheme Act into law.

This legislative milestone constitutes a watershed moment in the annals of labor relations and social security. By enshrining comprehensive pension reforms into statute, the government has demonstrated an unwavering commitment to the dignity, welfare, and long-term economic security of the Zambian worker.

The Act redresses historical inequities in retirement provision and lays a robust foundation upon which the aspirations of public service workers can be securely anchored. It is not merely legislation; it is a covenant between the state and its workforce — a recognition that those who dedicate their prime years to nation-building deserve a dignified twilight.

We laud President Hichilema’s visionary leadership and his administration’s resolve to place the worker at the fulcrum of national development policy. This assent signals that the voice of labor has been heard, and that workers’ needs are no longer peripheral, but central, to the national agenda.

The Union stands ready to collaborate with government in ensuring seamless implementation, so that this landmark law translates into tangible benefits for every worker across the public service.

Vernon HAMWENDE | General Secretary
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Public Service Workers Union

Hichilema Signs Landmark Bills to Advance Education and Pensions

LUSAKA — President Hakainde Hichilema has reaffirmed education as the bedrock of national progress and the definitive equaliser of opportunity. In assenting to five landmark bills into law, he affirmed that the statutory codification of the free education policy would institutionalize unfettered access to learning for every Zambian child, irrespective of socioeconomic circumstance. He further emphasized that “education is the greatest economic investment a nation can make”.

Addressing the assent ceremony at State House on Thursday afternoon, President Hichilema underscored that sustained investment in education constitutes the most viable pathway to inclusive and equitable development. He maintained that by dismantling financial impediments, the legislation would ensure that no child is precluded from schooling on account of economic disadvantage.

Chief among the instruments assented to is the Education Bill, together with four pivotal pensions statutes: the Pension Scheme (Amendment) Bill of 2026, the Public Service Pensions Bill of 2026, the Local Authorities Superannuation Bill of 2026, and the Pension Scheme Regulations (Amendment) Bill of 2026.

The Zambia Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU) has commended the President’s action as a transformative milestone. Mr. Godwin Maseka, Director of Education and Training at ZCTU, lauded President Hichilema’s decisive stewardship. Commenting specifically on the pensions legislation, he observed that its promulgation would serve as a catalyst for national development and fortify the socio-economic security of workers and retirees. He further contended that the reforms would enable beneficiaries to channel their entitlements into productive ventures and secure dignified accommodation upon retirement.

📷 State House

President Hakainde Hichilema is scheduled to sign a package of transformative legislation into law at State House today.

Below is the legislation to be assented to and signed into law.

To the Public Service Workers and Citizens of the Republic of Zambia, on the occasion of Africa Freedom Day.

On this commemoration of Africa Freedom Day, we honour those who secured Zambia’s political independence and advanced the liberation of the African continent. We affirm that political freedom is realized fully only through economic justice, accountable governance, and the dignity of labour within the public service.

In accordance with continental priorities and Zambia’s national development agenda, we focus on governance, inequality, decolonisation, industrialisation, regional trade integration, food sovereignty, and technological investment.

1. Governance and Inequality:

The public service remains the principal instrument for delivering education, health, justice, and administrative services. We reaffirm the need for institutions guided by probity, transparency, and merit. We, as always, continue to call for strengthened adherence to the Constitution of Zambia, the Public Service Act, and the principles of good governance to ensure public resources serve the common good.

2. Decolonisation of the Public Service:

Decolonisation must extend to the structures and practices of the public service. We advocate the promotion of indigenous knowledge systems, local languages, and African administrative traditions in policy and service delivery.

3. Industrialisation, Regional Trade, and Food Sovereignty:

Zambia’s participation in the African Continental Free Trade Area offers an opportunity to advance industrialisation and value addition in agriculture, mining beneficiation, and manufacturing. We support policies that protect local producers, promote food security, and ensure trade integration creates employment and income for Zambian workers and small-scale enterprises.

4. Technological Investment:

The digital transformation of the public service through e-government and Smart Zambia must enhance efficiency and access while safeguarding workers’ rights, inclusivity, data integrity, and labour standards.

To our members across Zambia: your service in schools, clinics, ministries, local authorities, and statutory bodies constitutes the practical expression of nation-building.

On this Africa Freedom Day, the Public Service Workers Union reaffirms its commitment to fair labour practices, professional dignity, and a public service that advances the aspirations of Vision 2030 and the Eighth National Development Plan.

May we advance from political independence to substantive economic and social emancipation for all Zambians.

Vernon HAMWENDE | General Secretary
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Public Service Workers Union (PUSEWU)

On this day, 12 May, International Nurses Day, we honor “Florence Nightingale”, the pioneer of modern nursing whose courage, discipline, and compassion reshaped healthcare.

Her legacy reminds us that nursing is more than a profession. It is service, vigilance, and human dignity in action.

As Public Service Workers Union, we wish to extend our gratitude to all nurses in Zambia: your quiet strength in clinics, hospitals, and communities carries that same torch. You are the frontline of healing, often unseen but always essential. Thank you for the care, sacrifice, and integrity you bring to our nation each day.

May your work continue to inspire and uplift, just as Nightingale’s did.

Public Service Workers Union, Labour Day celebration in picture.

1 May, 2026.

Location: Luangwa,
Lusaka Province.

To all journalists, editors, media workers, and press institutions,

On this 3rd of May 2026, we commemorate World Press Freedom Day under the global theme: “Shaping a Future at Peace: Promoting Press Freedom for Human Rights, Development, and Security.”

This year’s theme is far from abstract. It is an unequivocal call to action. In an age where information travels faster than truth, and where digital disinformation alongside economic pressures strain the independence of newsrooms, your work remains the bedrock of peace, accountability, and public trust.

Free and independent journalism does more than chronicle events. It interrogates facts, provides context, tempers discord, and enables societies to address complex issues through reasoned dialogue. As we convene in Lusaka for the Global Conference, we affirm that without press freedom, there can be neither human rights, nor sustainable development, nor enduring peace.

We pay tribute to the courage of journalists who, amid considerable peril, continue to deliver lifesaving and accurate information. We likewise reaffirm our resolve to shield media practitioners from censorship, surveillance, harassment, and violence.

To every member of the Press: your contribution to shaping a future at peace is indispensable. Persist in speaking truth to power. Persist in cultivating information ecosystems that are accurate, ethical, and resilient.

Happy World Press Freedom Day. May your work continue to enlighten, safeguard, and unite!

PUBLIC RELATIONS UNIT
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Public Service Workers Union

PUBLIC SERVICE WORKERS UNION LABOUR DAY CELEBRATION

The march past

Location: LUSAKA

VEEP NALUMANGO HAILS WORKERS, PENSION REFORMS, URGES INDUSTRIAL DIALOGUE

Friday, May 1, 2026

LUSAKA - Vice President W.K. Mutale Nalumango has paid tribute to Zambian workers for their role in national development, while reaffirming Government’s commitment to pension reforms and industrial harmony.

Delivering her keynote address at the Labour Day commemoration held at the Freedom Statue in Lusaka, Mrs. Nalumango recognised every worker for their contribution to the growth and development of the nation. She further commended the Zambia Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU) for its “remarkable collaboration” with Government.

“Government is implementing pension reforms to secure the future of workers,” the Vice President said. She cited social security measures such as the 20% partial pension withdrawal, introduced to help cushion workers against prevailing social and economic challenges.

Mrs. Nalumango reaffirmed that Government’s primary role is to create an enabling environment through innovation across various sectors. She urged the ZCTU leadership to continue encouraging its members to adhere to labour laws, noting that Government maintains an open-door policy for dialogue on industrial grievances concerning salaries, conditions of service, and related matters.

The Vice President added that Government remains resolute in maintaining a conducive working environment for all workers by ensuring employers comply with labour laws and remain in harmony with their workforce. “This promotes industrial peace between workers and employers,” she said.

She congratulated workers across all sectors for their immense contribution to national development.

This year’s Labour Day is being commemorated under the theme: “Securing Zambia’s Future of Work: Protecting Jobs, Skills and Pensions for Decent Work for All”.

Hundreds of workers from various unions, government officials, and members of the public gathered at the Freedom Statue to mark the occasion with march-pasts and solidarity messages.