Maravi

Times of Zambia staff stage sit-in

Times of Zambia staff stage sit-in
By Nomusa Michelo and Namakau Nalumango
Wednesday April 18, 2007 [04:00]

TIMES of Zambia unionized employees yesterday staged another sit-in demanding salary increments of K1 million across the board. Angry workers found outside the locked Times of Zambia building demanded that management give them a reasonable increment in salaries and not the K150,000 being offered.

Workers also displayed placards, which stated that management was greedy and demanded that Times of Zambia managing director Arnold Kapelembi resigns.

The workers also put a 'For sale' sign on Kapelembi's Toyota Hilux, with an asking price of K200 million, to be used for salary increments.

Zambia Union of Journalists (ZUJ) president Isabel Chimangeni said the workers would not go back to work until their demands were met. "Management has told us to go to hell if we don't take the offer of K150,000. Their explanation is that government has reduced taxes (Pay as You Earn) so we will automatically have an increment of K200,000, so that plus the K150,000 management is offering us, it will be K350,000. But we have refused, and the tax reduction should not even be referred to. Even government which has reduced taxes has given a reasonable increment to its workers."

Chimangeni tabulated some of the monthly allowances given to management as 350/litre of fuel (K2.3 million at K6,500/litre), K75,000 lunch allowance , K700,000 telephone and cell phone allowance, K300,000 for water and electricity, K800,000 commuted car allowance. Other allowances include K1,500,000 leave travel, K1,500,000 transport allowance, and K3,800,000 as salary.

And when contacted for a comment, Kapelembi said he was not aware that management had told workers to go to hell if they refused to accept the K150,000 salary increment. When asked what management's position was on the negotiations, Kapelembi said he would not issue any press statements and that nobody else from management would give a statement.

And addressing the workers at the Times of Zambia headquarters in Ndola, controller of operations Kapoka Viano said they could not go beyond what had been offered to the workers. "From September last year, we have been borrowing money to pay salaries, which is not normal. It can never be normal to borrow money for consumption," he said.

He observed that previously the paper used to sell more copies as compared to the current 9,000 copies per day. He also said the organisation owed Zambia Revenue Authority (ZRA) K16 million in default and appealed to the workers to understand the company's predicament.

"We would want you to be the happiest but our hands are tied. That is the truth obtaining on the ground," he said. ZUJ Ndola chapel president Anthony Mulowa said they would only resume serious work after official communication from their national executive committee (NEC). He said the situation could only be brought under control by the NEC.

Labels: THE TIMES

posted by MrK @ 3:49 AM