Mr Mwanawasa's government has no money to pay workers
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President Levy Mwanawasa of Zambia has called for a national crisis meeting as he struggles with a civil service strike.
He invited opposition parties, civil society organisations and church groups to a national conference to be held within the next four weeks.
He was speaking as a strike by around 120,000 civil servants and public workers went into a second week.
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We need the IMF whether we like or not
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They want the government to hand over unpaid housing allowances, which are equivalent to 80% of their salaries.
Vice President Nevers Mumba told the BBC's Network Africa programme that health and education services were the areas most severely affected by the strike.
Western donors, in particular the IMF, have cut aid to Zambia because the government has not cut spending.
"If I had a way of not depending on the IMF, I would not care but we need the IMF whether we like or not," Mr Mwanawasa was quoted as saying in the Times of Zambia.
One-Minute World News
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