Maravi

JCTR asks employers to pay workers decent wages

JCTR asks employers to pay workers decent wages
Written by George Zulu in Monze
Sunday, February 01, 2009 4:33:47 AM

THE Jesuit Centre for Theological Reflection (JCTR) has said the Basic Needs Basket (BNB) should help the government and other employers, including the church, pay just and decent wages to workers.

But Monze district commissioner Joyce Nondo said it is not possible for the government to respond to all needs of the people and advised both the church and non-governmental organisations to inculcate a sense of responsibility and hard work among the people.

Speaking during the launch of the BNB on Thursday for Monze district and surrounding areas, JCTR coordinator for Social Conditions Programme Miniva Chibuye said the BNB should be a tool which the government and other employers should use to determine decent and just wages for their employees.

Chibuye said if the BNB was utilised in the adjustment of salaries and wages, the lives of the people in Zambia would tremendously improve as it gave a clear indication on how much workers should get.

"BNB is a tool which if used properly to determine wages, the living standards of Zambians will be meaningful and poverty levels would go down for a good number of the people. Even unions themselves, I would encourage them to use the BNB for salary increments and improved conditions of service," she said.

Chibuye said it was sad that most workers in the nation were getting slave wages despite harsh economic conditions people were experiencing, adding that labour laws were also unfavourable.

And ZCTU Monze branch chairperson Phillip Nsakilwa urged the national union leaders to utilise JCTR's BNB when negotiating for improved conditions of service.

Meanwhile, SESTUZ Southern Province chairperson Collins Malambo said the teaching fraternity in the province would not allow any minimal salary increments this year, saying government would meet teachers with a bitter pinch.

But Nondo said it was not possible for government to respond to all the needs of the people.

Nondo, who earlier said she did not take pride in politics of appeasement, said Zambians should not always criticise the government and its policies but should be objective enough to respond positively towards hard work and national prosperity.

She further said it was disappointing that people crying for increased allocations of the government sponsored Fertiliser Support Programme (FSP) had ended up reselling the inputs on the black markets, a situation she said was disadvantaging the growth of the agricultural sector in the country.

“Let us help people change their mind set towards development, people of Monze are difficult to work with, even after harvesting enough to sale and some to store for food security, they will prefer to sale everything and start crying for relief food…that is what they are, so with such an attitude, how do you improve and increase on the Basic Needs Basket? Let's stop criticising the government but we must help in finding solutions to the problems we are facing," said Nondo.

Labels: JCTR, SALARIES

posted by MrK @ 4:33 AM