Unionised lecturers and staff at the Copperbelt University (CBU) in Kitwe have called off their over a month long strike that disrupted the institution’s academic calendar and left many students redundant.

CBU unionised lecturers’ downed tools in June, this year, to drive in their demand for the exit of Vice-Chancellor Naison Ngoma and top management for alleged lack of academic focus.

The lecturers agreed to resume work following a protracted series of tripartite meetings involving Government, CBU Academics Union (CBUAU) leadership and CBU management held at Moba Hotel in Kitwe.

The meetings co-chaired by Labour and Social Security Minister Fackson Shamenda and his Education, Science, Vocational Training and Early Education counterpart Michael Kaingu started on Wednesday and lasted up to yesterday around 18:00 hours when the parties reached an amicable resolution.

Mr Shamenda who read the statement said the academic staff at CBU agreed to resume work unconditionally.

He said thereafter, the union would reopen negotiations with the Ministry of Education to address any other outstanding issues.

"The academic staff of the Copperbelt University through their leadership provided by the CBUAU, have agreed, today to go back to work unconditionally.

"Thereafter, they will engage the Ministry of Education on issues pertinent to the smooth running of the Copperbelt University," Mr Shamenda said.

He said following this development, Dr Kaingu would soon announce the date for the reopening of CBU.

Mr Shamenda thanked the CBU unions, management, students, the CBU community and the nation as a whole for the patience exhibited during the closure of the institution.

CBUAU president Mwiya Songolo said the lecturers agreed to call off their work boycott after having looked into the interest of the students and the need to have CBU reopened soon.

Mr Songolo said unionised staff were resuming work to give dialogue another chance and hoped that Government would seriously address their concerns.