Maravi

Rupiah happy to sign bill increasing salaries

Rupiah happy to sign bill increasing salaries
Written by Chibaula Silwamba
Thursday, November 27, 2008 11:18:23 AM

PRESIDENT Rupiah Banda yesterday said he is very happy to have assented to the bill to increase salaries and allowances for constitutional office holders.
And President Banda has discouraged mining companies from retrenching employees.
Meanwhile, President Banda said he will seek an update from Attorney General Mumba Malila on how far corruption cases against fugitive former intelligence chief Xavier Chungu have gone.

Speaking to journalists at Lusaka International Airport before departure on an official two-day visit to Nigeria, his first trip outside Lusaka since his election last month, President Banda confirmed assenting to the controversial bills and described the increment of the salaries and allowances as very small.


"On the bill, you know I assented. I am the one that signed for it. I am very happy with it because it is merely fulfilling what we normally do every year. What happens is that when unionised workers in the public service negotiate with the government a certain percentage of increment, everybody else who is entitled then gets it," President Banda said. "We didn't get it in January, as you know, we had wanted to get the other one which I refused to assent to. So I am happy to do this one and if you look at the figures, it's really a very small increment."


And President Banda advised mining companies not to retrench their workers in the wake of the falling prices of copper on the world market.


"We are trying to discourage that as much as possible. The mines or those who employ people, we know that they have problems as the result of the fall of prices of copper and other metals but as much as possible we encourage them to keep the workers and see what we can do together," President Banda. "There are preparations for meetings between the Minister of Finance and the Minister of Mines on one hand, representing the government and the mining companies to see how we chat our way forward."
President Banda was reacting to media reports where Mine Workers Union of Zambia (MUZ) and National Union of Miners and Allied Workers (NUWAW) presidents were quoted as having said that about 360 mine workers had been retrenched by mining companies in Copperbelt and North Western provinces, mainly because of low copper prices on the world market.


Commenting on the retrenchment, labour and social security minister Austin Liato said he had met NUMAW and MUZ officials and said he would be meeting mining companies' officials to ascertain the cause of the retrenchments.
"I met trade union leaders today; I met leaders of NUMAW and MUZ; they have briefed me their side of the story. I am inviting mining employers to also come to my office as early as possible between now and early next week so that I can also hear from them their side of the story," Liato said. "The problems confronting, not only Zambian economy but the global economy, are real and unless we find solutions that are common between the three social parties - not ZCTU or FFTUZ, but the three social partners are the government, employers and employees.


"Employers' organisations, employees organisations and the government must squarely face the truth; the truth is where are the problems? What are the problems? How do we find a common way forward? This we can only do if we sit down and analyse what is obtaining and find a common way and this is what we want to do."


Liato said the Ministry of Labour would focus on further pursuing issues of social dialogue.
"I am confident that when we have shared the problems and we are going to be realistic in facing the truth, then we can find the way forward," said Liato.


And President Banda said cases involving Xavier Chungu, who is on the run, were being handled through the legal process.
"I am aware of that case; it's being handled through the legal process. I have no specific comment to make about it but when the Attorney General comes back I intend to find out from him how far we are over that issue of Mr Chungu," he said.
On his trip to Nigeria, President Banda said he was going to that country to meet his counterpart Umaru Musa Yar'Adua.
"...As you know he is one of the most prominent leaders on this continent," observed President Banda. "Our first meeting is to get to know each other and discuss the problems that face our continent but also we want to see how they have been able to cope with their agricultural policies and what kind of crops and whether we can learn from them some of those here in our country. So I am looking forward, it's my first outside trip as you know."

Labels: RUPIAH BANDA

posted by MrK @ 11:18 AM