Maravi

Govt to curtail proliferation of trade unions

Govt to curtail proliferation of trade unions
By Mwala Kalaluka and Clara Mwamulela
Thursday March 22, 2007 [02:00]

LABOUR minister Ronald Mukuma on Tuesday told Parliament that the government would soon institute interventions to curtail the proliferation of trade unions in the labour market. Winding up debate on the estimates of expenditure for his ministry, Mukuma said government had recognised the difficulties that come with having too many unions. "While at the same time we are appreciating the fact that we ratified the ILO (International Labour Organisation) convention which allows free association for the workers, we do not want to bring anarchy in the labour market," Mukuma said. "We do not want this free association to be synonymous with anarchy. We want to bring sanity in the labour market."

Mukuma's statement comes barely a week after defence minister and acting leader of government business in Parliament, George Mpombo, accused some labour leaders of having a corrosive hatred for the government. Mukuma explained that the government would intervene in the proliferation of trade unions in view of the chaotic situation that usually arises at the time of collective bargaining for the workers' conditions of services. "The most representative union becomes the leader especially at the time of collective bargaining, because that is where disunity and anarchy comes in," Mukuma said.

"There is no harmonisation of packages. So if you have three unions in one sector each one has their own package. We want to bring sanity and order in the collective bargaining process."

He also said his ministry's scope of work had increased in terms of addressing some of the challenges in the labour industry following moves to have the private sector become the engine of economic development.

Mukuma said the legal structure in the sector was not in tune with the changes that had taken place in the contemporary business environment, as they were applicable to the times when the Zambia Industrial and Mining Corporation (ZIMCO) was still running the bulk of the nation's businesses.

He explained that the private sector's prime objective was to make profits while the rest of the issues were secondary.
He said, however, that there was need for foreign investors that come from diverse backgrounds to be made to operate within the local legal framework.

"If you do not want to follow the law then obviously you will never be a friend to the law," said Mukuma.

Labels: GEORGE KUNDA, TRADE UNIONS

posted by MrK @ 3:50 AM