Maravi

‘Banda should have given priority to Labour Day’

‘Banda should have given priority to Labour Day’
Written by Masuzyo Chakwe and Ernest Chanda
Saturday, May 02, 2009 4:53:13 PM

ZAMBIA Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU) president Leonard Hikaumba yesterday said President Rupiah Banda should have given priority to the Zambian workers over his trip to Zimbabwe. And Vice-President George Kunda said this year’s Labour Day was very significant as it came when the country was facing severe economic challenges brought about by the global economic crisis.

During yesterday’s Labour Day commemorations, under the theme ‘Economic Recovery Through Respect for Workers Rights, Good Governance and Job Security’, Hikaumba said this was the first Labour Day held under President Banda and it was a pity that he was not around because the workers had a message for him.

“We feel he should have given us priority,” he said.

Hikaumba said it was important especially that over 10,000 workers had lost jobs in the recent past and so many were in doubt if they would be employed tomorrow or the other week.

“That is why we would have loved him to be here,” he emphasised.

Hikaumba said the labour union was also disappointed that they had not been successful in making an appointment to meet President Banda to discuss the impact of the global financial crisis and how to avoid further job losses.

“When President Banda addressed party cadres at State House, he said he received a phone call from a party official on the eve of the demonstration. That is the quick response we would like to see. For us to wait for such a long time, we feel that we have been overlooked,” he said.

He told Vice-President Kunda that the labour movement wanted to have a meeting with President Banda.

Hikaumba said it was disappointing that their own government could ignore their concerns and side with employers who were only interested in making profits.

He complained that workers had been sacrificing for a long time and recalled the wage freeze and HIPC completion point that were used as excuses not to improve the conditions of service for employees.

Hikaumba said now there was an excuse of the global financial crisis and wondered for how long workers would continue sacrificing.

He said workers felt that political leaders not only from the ruling party but other parties had not been leading the way as they were busy fighting each other.

Hikaumba wondered how the country could develop if there was no chance for stakeholders to sit together.

Hikaumba said the action by business houses to cut jobs as a result of the global economic crunch was an abuse of workers’ rights.

“How can you explain when a chief officer has a salary that can pay 100 workers and workers are denied when their employer is driving more than five vehicles?” he asked.

Hikaumba said good governance was very important and that the Fifth National Development Plan (FNDP) would just be a plan on paper if the rights of workers were not taken into account.

He said when the mines were enjoying high copper prices, they were still complaining about the windfall tax, which was sorted out for them.

“When will workers benefit? What happened to all the huge profits that were made?” he asked.

Hikaumba said there had been calls that the public service should distance themselves from politics but they had in recent past seen politicians appointed to the public service.

He said such appointments confused civil servants much as they were done to reward people for having campaigned in the elections.

“Let us avoid appointing politicians in the civil service,” he said.

Hikaumba also said Zambian Airways went under because of failure to sit down and dialogue.

He wondered how many more companies would go under due to the failure to sit down and dialogue.

“Now we also hear of the proposed increase in electricity tariffs by Zesco by 66 per cent. Already workers are over burdened with the taxes they are paying. Government should come in and intervene,” Hikaumba said.

And Vice-President Kunda, who represented President Banda at the celebrations, said he had taken note and he would deliver the messages to the President, from the Zambia Federation of Employers (ZFE) and more importantly ZCTU.

He said the government values the relationship between employers, employees and the government.

Vice-President Kunda said he would also deliver the request from the labour movement to meet the President and had also taken note of a number of issues raised on governance and the suffering of the workers.

He also said the government would respect their opinions even where the government may take a different view because that was what democracy was all about.

Vice-President Kunda said this year’s theme for Labour Day was a wake-up call to the realities of the economic downturn and the need for workers and employers to work together to ensure the quickest recovery of the economy for the mutual benefit of both parties.

He said the effect of the global economic crisis had not been limited to the mining sector and the impact had also been felt in the agriculture, tourism and manufacturing sectors due to a global decline in demand.

Vice-President Kunda said he was aware that the removal of windfall taxes had raised a lot of debate but the rationale behind the decision was to enable the mines sustain their operations, expand existing investment and secure jobs.

He said with regard to the situation at Luanshya Copper Mines, which was currently under care and maintenance, the government was working tirelessly to find other investors to operate the mine.

He said given the current situation in the mining sector as a whole, the government was considering the recommendation from the recently held indaba of putting in place a task force to review the operations of the entire mining industry.

Vice-President Kunda warned employers that the government would not tolerate the tendency where employers arbitrarily lay off workers under the guise of the global economic crisis.

Vice-President Kunda said the government had also observed with concern the tendency by some employers to take advantage of the large supply of labour in the country to disregard the relevant labour laws and abuse workers’ rights, saying such ascts would not be tolerated.

And International Labour Organisation (ILO) regional representative for Zambia, Malawi and Mozambique, Gerry Finnegan asked the government to devise steps that would create a better and secure environment for workers.

“…The rigorous implementation of existing laws and policies, particularly in relation to inspection of Zambia’s work places to ensure compliance and elimination of workplace abuses. A systematic implementation of the employment policy, with an action plan and appropriate outputs and indicators. …Amendments to the industrial and labour relations Act (2008) to ensure full compliance with International Labour Conventions already ratified by Zambia,” Finnegan said.

He said Zambia should also create a task force to assess the full impact of the global economic crisis on workers.

“In response to the impacts of the global economic crisis on Zambian workers, government should create Task Force to quantify impacts on workers and their families. Government should also develop measures to cushion and mitigate the harsh impacts on Zambian workers and their families; and promote new job creation opportunities and new sectors,” Finnegan said.

“…Ensure a comprehensive and inclusive approach in the government’s responses and programmes relating to the global crisis, and mobilising and engaging all key actors in the labour market, including ministry of labour, employers’ and workers’ organisations, and the UN system (including ILO), particularly in private sector development and follow-up actions to the recent indaba.”

And ZFE president Dr George Chabwera warned that an improvement in the world economy would not mean the end of the global economic problems.

Labour minister Austin Liato said the government shall in the next one year embark on labour law reforms.

Labels: LABOUR, LEONARD HIKAUMBA, RUPIAH BANDA, ZCTU

posted by MrK @ 3:55 PM