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NUCIW implores KK to advise Rupiah on recapitalising NCZ

NUCIW implores KK to advise Rupiah on recapitalising NCZ
Written by Mutuna Chanda in Kitwe
Thursday, January 22, 2009 9:41:05 AM

NATIONAL Union of Commercial and Industrial Workers (NUCIW) general secretary John Bwalya has called on Dr Kenneth Kaunda to advise President Rupiah Banda on the need to recapitalise Nitrogen Chemicals of Zambia (NCZ).

Commenting on the protest by NCZ unionised workers and their spouses on Monday over President Banda's silence on the company in his address to Parliament last Friday, Bwalya accused those in the government of having failed to revamp the fertiliser producer.

"The union agrees with the statement issued by Michael Sata in which he stated that President Banda is surrounded by bootlickers who are not advising him accordingly," Bwalya stated. "This is because the issue of recapitalisation of NCZ is long overdue."

He wondered whether the government appreciated the purpose for Dr Kaunda's government to establish NCZ.

"The idea was that the country should not depend on the importation of fertiliser," he stated. "This initiative should at all costs be supported and appreciated by the government."

He stated that the government needed to seriously consider recapitalising NCZ in view of the impact of the global financial crisis which had affected the mining industry.

"Recapitalisation of NCZ will be a good decision in line with the idea of diversifying our mainstay of the economy from copper production to agriculture," he stated. "We have no doubt that this year the country will experience importation of maize due to bad government policies on agriculture."

Bwalya warned of chaos in Kafue if the government failed to recapitalise NCZ or pay benefits to its workers.

"If the government cannot recapitalise, they should prepare funds to pay the terminal benefits for workers of NCZ," stated Bwalya. "If the government cannot do that the union can foresee that there will be chaos in Kafue."

However, Bwalya urged workers not to tamper with company property in pressurising the government over their position.

Labels: JOHN BWALYA, KENNETH KAUNDA, NCZ, NUCIW, RUPIAH BANDA

posted by MrK @ 9:42 AM