Maravi

Indaba cheaper for new constitution - Levy

Indaba cheaper for new constitution - Levy
By Brighton Phiri and Nomusa Michelo
Wednesday May 02, 2007 [15:00]

IT will be cheaper to adopt the new constitution through an indaba, President Levy Mwanawasa said yesterday. And President Mwanawasa said Zambia Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU) should not expect the government to improve workers' conditions when public funds were being stolen by some of its members.

Speaking during the commemoration of the International Labour Day at Lusaka's Freedom Statue, President Mwanawasa said he was prepared to call for a national convention to discuss the constitution-making process.

"When we met to discuss the issue of the national indaba, my proposal was well received by the civil society who were present at State House. But I don't know whether State House ties people's mouths such that they cannot speak out while inside there. But when they went out, they went to renounce what we had agreed on the national indaba," President Mwanawasa said.

"That proposal is still open. It will be cheaper for us to adopt the constitution... for us to ensure that those portions of the Constitution that require amendment are looked into. It will be cheaper...yes, I know that some people will not get the money from the donors which they are getting for waging war against us. But I agree, the option is still open. I am prepared to call the national convention, but that can be when it is supported by the people."

And President Mwanawasa threatened to shun any event being organised by companies that invited him during their official opening but were shunning the Labour Day celebrations. "Some of the companies invited me when they were opening... They don't want to see me after I have opened them... Let them not call me for any other event if they are not prepared to dance with the people they employ. We are happy that they are making money, but not happy that they are not giving us support at all. I expect that those companies that have not participated today, they know themselves, should be in attendance next year," he said.

Acting ZCTU president Sam Phiri expressed his disappointment on the absence of some of the private investors during the Labour Day celebrations. "As evidenced here, most of the workers who have attended this ceremony are from government departments. And yet we have several private companies who have been in this country for many years. Where are they?" he asked. "Are we really promoting sustainable workers' rights in this country?"

Phiri complained that foreign investors were in the habit of referring them to the laws of their countries each time they were approached to discuss workers' conditions. "Whenever we approach the foreign employers in order to discuss the workers' conditions, we are being told in our country we do not do it this way. We have been forced to react because this country has laws.

We don't want to be told what happens in South Africa, Bulgaria, Taiwan because we have laws in this country, which need to be followed," he said. "We feel insulted whenever we are referred to the foreign laws while we have our own government and Ministry of Labour."
Phiri said it was sad that Zambian workers have been turned into slaves in their own country.

He reminded government that its claim over reduction in the inflation rate did not have any bearing on the plight of the workers. He said the call for improved productivity among the workers would be meaningless if the workers' conditions were not being improved.

"How do you become productive when some of our people live under abject poverty with an average weight of 45kg," he asked. "Some of our workers resign to buying groundnuts for K500 during lunch time and five litres of water if they manage to get access to the tap, and you expect them to be productive in the afternoon?"

Phiri complained that both the local and foreign investors were engaged in suppressing workers' rights and preventing them from forming unions at their work places. "Some of them have gone to extent of using their lawyers to block the Labour Commissioner and labour officers from entering their premises. It is shameful for these investors to threaten the labour minister because we have laws that need to be respected in this country," he said.

President Mwanawasa said the government was resolved to promote workers rights through the Fifth National Development Plan (FNDP) and would direct its efforts toward the observance of labour standards at workplaces by facilitating more random checks to ensure compliance with the law.

"Regular labour inspections shall be complemented by educational awareness campaigns with regard to the provisions of the employment Act, industrial relations Act, minimum wages and conditions of employment Act and the factories Act," he said.

He also said there was need to educate the majority of workers in the country on the provisions of the law so that they could claim their rights whenever they suffered any infringement at work. "Government on its part will endeavour to maintain a sound industrial relations climate for conducting business," he said.

President Mwanawasa said the government would now concentrate on creation of more jobs to absorb school leavers and graduates to gainful employment.

He said the approach would focus on the productive sectors of the economy such as agriculture, tourism and mining where many more jobs will be created. "Already with increased investment in the above sectors, 100,000 jobs have been created in the last two years," he said.

President Mwanawasa also said the problem of child labour in the country still posed a serious threat by compromising the quality of the future labour force. "It is a well known and widely acknowledged fact that child labour denies many of our children education and prospects for improved quality of life in their adulthood," he said.

He said as a phenomenon that is constantly influenced by poverty and HIV/AIDS, child labour could only be effectively tackled through a multi-dimensional approach involving various stakeholders.
He also said HIV/AIDS has been ravaging the economically productive population on whose shoulders the country's economic development lies.

And President Mwanawasa paid tribute to workers around the country for their tireless contribution to economic development in various sectors of the economy.

And Phiri said it was unacceptable for the government to continue to tell people that it had no money to increase their wages when there had been blatant revelations by the Auditor General's office of massive abuse of funds by those appointed to carry out development projects on behalf of the people.

"How can government convince us today that there is no money to buy drugs when K24 billion has literally been thrown into the sea through carelessness on the part of controlling officers," he said. "We demand that appointing authorities put an end to this recklessness by dismissing all controlling officers who have been exposed by the Auditor General's report."

Phiri said citizens were being denied access to basic utilities such as water, sanitation and electricity, education, and health simply because some controlling officers had diverted funds for such purposes to areas they considered their priorities.

"This is totally unacceptable and time has come for all concerned Zambians to take action," he said. "If the President as the appointing authority does not take action to reverse this trend, we will find ways and means of reminding him that the funds that are being misapplied are taxed from our hard earned income. There should be no compromise over this issue."

Phiri said while the government continued to sing about its achievements in the area of economic growth, the labour movement felt that this economic development be accompanied by social development.

"We see social development as an intrinsic and essential component of economic development," he said.

He said the union was opposed to its members paying fees for various social services because they were poorly remunerated and remained victims of exploitation by employers including the government.
Phiri said the union saw the highly acclaimed economic growth as a ruthless growth because it was visibly accompanied by growing and glaring income inequalities in which ten per cent of the population gets 48 per cent of the country's wealth.

"Clearly this makes our country a nation polarised into two extreme groups, a very small minority living in obscene opulence while the majority remain trapped in grotesque, excruciating poverty and human deprivation," he said.

Phiri also called on workers to be united and struggle against those who sought profit from deprivation.

"Let us continue to remain united against violations of our rights, both as workers and human beings. No one can fight this fight for us," he said. "Do not be cheated by employers who will tell you that unions simply want to promote their agenda, that is to profit from your misery."
And Zambia Federation of Employers (ZFE) president Dann Musenge called on workers and employers in the country to create symbiotic work relations.

"We believe as employers that this recognition goes a long way in motivating workers and for them to be dedicated, honest and diligent in their application of efforts for the achievement of corporate goals and objectives," he said.

Musenge also called on employers in the country to treat their workers with respect as partners in industrial productivity.

He said one of the most important duties of an employer is to give every worker what is justly due to them, while the worker also had the obligation to diligently and honestly work for the employer.

And International Labour Organisation (ILO) representative for Malawi, Mozambique and Zambia Gerry Finnegan said ILO together with the Ministry of Labour and Social Security and other stakeholders will this month launch the national Decent Work country programme. The said programme is grounded on the national priorities and the national development plans to improve work conditions in the country.

The Labour Day celebrations drew participation from 60 ministries, 55 companies and two political parties, the Movement for Multi Party Democracy (MMD) and the United Liberal Party (ULP).

Organisers of the International Labour Day celebrations expressed disappointment at Shoprite who despite being informed about the commemoration said they were not aware of it.

Labels: CONSTITUTION, MWANAWASA

posted by MrK @ 6:24 PM