Maravi

Chisupa defends proposed labour Act amendments

Chisupa defends proposed labour Act amendments
By Jack Zimba
Sunday May 25, 2008 [04:00]

LABOUR and social security permanent secretary Ngosa Chisupa has insisted that the proposed amendments to the labour and industrial relations Act were not targeted at individuals. Appearing before the parliamentary committee on Economic Affairs and Labour, chaired by Kabwata PF member of parliament Given Lubinda on Friday, Chisupa explained that the only interest for the ministry of labour was on the eligibility of elected union leaders.

Chisupa, who appeared with his counterpart in charge of public service management division under Cabinet Office, Ignatius Kashoka and labour commissioner Noah Siasimuna, said the proposed law was merely meant to make trade union leaders accountable to their constituency.

“Our concern is with those positions that are electable and that these leaders are held accountable. If people are retired from service and you still need them in the union, then appoint them,” said Chisupa.
And Siasimuna said trade unions needed regulation and could not be left to have everything their way.

“Trade unions are pressure groups, they will strike, they will destroy property and they can even kill the manager if they are aggrieved. If you let trade unions have it the way they want to have it, then you cannot produce,” he said.
Siasimuna also accused unions of being less organised compared to the employers.
“The employers are a better organised lot than the workers’ unions,” said Siasimuna.
However, Lubinda asked Siasimuna not to use derogatory terms against other witnesses appearing before the committee.

“What we are interested in is to come up with a good law. Leave your politics out there,” said Lubinda.
The commissioner apologised for the remarks.
And Kashoka said the proposed law was not in conflict with the International Labour Organisation convention which provided the right of the employee to belong to a union of their choice.

He was responding to a question by Zambezi West UPND member of parliament Charles Kakoma, who expressed worry that the new law would be in conflict with the ILO convention that granted freedom of association to the workers.

And Lubinda wondered why the ministry of labour was proposing to give investigative powers to the labour commissioner, by allowing him to appoint an independent auditor to audit the accounts of unions, instead of handing such cases to already existing investigative wings such as the police.

“Why should one registrar have powers to appoint an auditor when other registrars in the same government do not have such powers. Don’t you think you are putting a mischief into the law?” he asked.

Kashoka explained that such powers would not be abused as the procedure to appoint auditors would be subjected to a tender procedure.
He also gave examples of other registrars in the government with similar powers.

Labels: LABOUR, NGOSA CHISUPA

posted by MrK @ 3:15 AM