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ZCTU is appalled by lack of civility in political arena - Dr Mwape

ZCTU is appalled by lack of civility in political arena - Dr Mwape
Written by Mutuna Chanda in Kitwe, Abigail Chaponda in Ndola and Christopher Miti in Chipata
Saturday, May 02, 2009 4:48:39 PM

ZAMBIA Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU) representative Dr Fenson Mwape has said the labour body is appalled by the lack of civility in the political arena.
And ZCTU trustee Ben Ngula has expressed disappointment over President Rupiah Banda's decision to attend the Zimbabwe International Trade Fair instead of addressing workers on Labour Day.

During Labour Day commemoration in Kitwe last Friday, Dr Mwape said politicians needed to exhibit political maturity.

"We in the ZCTU are tempted to think that maybe politicians have taken us Zambians for granted for a long time," Dr Mwape said. "We need to make sure that the parents that we elect as our leaders are accountable to us, not just those in government but those that we vote for in the opposition."

He said it was frustrating to see political leaders in the ruling MMD and the opposition attacking each other at the expense of addressing development concerns.

Dr Mwape also urged the government to pay attention to local investors who he said were capable of developing the country.

He called for an industry policy that would direct investment to rural areas enabling the rural population to access jobs.

Dr Mwape further urged the government to pay attention to the agriculture sector, which he said had the potential to pull the country out of the mess it was in.

And information minister Lieutenant General Ronnie Shikapwasha warned that the government would not tolerate employers arbitrarily retrenching workers using the excuse of the global economic crisis.

Lt Gen Shikapwasha expressed concern over employers who took advantage of the large supply of workers in the country to disregard labour laws and abuse workers' rights.

"Government will not tolerate the practice where employers deliberately violate workers' rights," Lt Gen Shikapwasha said. "Government is also concerned about some employers who undermine efforts aimed at promoting job security through unacceptable practices such as causalisation of labour and laying off workers as a first option in cost reduction...government is calling upon the labour movement to intensify workers' education especially on the issues of basic rights at work, discipline, hard work and high level of productivity."

He further expressed concern over the poor work culture prevailing in the country.

"There is need to develop a culture of hard work and dedication to duty in our collective efforts towards high productivity which will help us turn our economy around," he said.

Lt Gen Shikapwasha also urged workers to continuously upgrade their skills and invest in their education.

Zambia Federation of Employers (ZFE) representative Eugene Appel urged workers not to make unrealistic salary demands.

He also called on the government to protect local industry from foreign products, which were being propped up by subsidies in their countries of origin.

And in Ndola during the Labour Day celebrations under the theme “Economic recovery through respect for workers' rights, good governance and job security,” Ngula said it was wrong for President Banda to abandon the workers at the time when they needed him most.

"It is bad and it doesn't look good that the President has decided to ignore the most important day in this country. Instead he has decided to go to Zimbabwe, why? This would have been the perfect day for him to address the workers considering the job losses that this country has been facing," Ngula said.

"We are disappointed that he is not around. We are not pleased at all. Workers would have loved to hear from him as the father of Zambia. We wanted him to give us hope that everything was going to be okay, not what he has done leaving us and deciding to attend the Zimbabwean trade fair. We are disappointed."

Ngula said the workers had gathered at Kwacha centre with displeasure to commemorate Labour Day, because many people in the country had lost their jobs.

"Even if we are here, we are disappointed and have come with a heavy heart. No matter how much workers put in, they are not given what is due to them. It is a shame," he said.

Ngula said good governance would not be achieved if workers were still wallowing in poverty.

Ngula urged the government to seriously look into the plight of workers and to evaluate investors before they come to Zambia.

ZFE representative Kevin Shone said policy makers and relevant shareholders should return to the drawing board and seriously formulate polices and strategies that could help to address the current challenges the country faced.

Shone said due to the economic recession that the world was facing, this year's Labour Day theme would not be realised in full.

He said as much as there could be respect between the workers and employers, economic recovery and job creation may not be attainable unless there was total commitment from both parties.

"The country needs a well defined strategy that will enhance productivity and address the hassles to business growth at all levels. It is not business as usual and as such every citizen of this nation should rise to the challenge and make a meaningful contribution towards economic recovery and job creation," he said.

However, Shone said for Zambia's economy to grow and provide income to households, government needed to seriously re-visit the policy on the growth of the informal economy.

And in Chipata at David Kaunda Stadium, Chaala condemned politicians for spending much of their time quarrelling like babies.

Chaala said there was total confusion among politicians in Zambia.

"When it comes to the poverty levels especially in the rural community, you compare the policies which the Kaunda government in the First Republic had. Why don't you pick some of those policies and implement them in your government? What we are seeing now is total confusion, spending much of the time quarrelling among yourselves which is not in the interest of the nation," Chaala said. "We want you to see sense that your government record is being dented especially if yourselves are fighting amongst yourselves as if you are actually babies. You are adults, people who went to school but why don't you change? Just a simple change. Don't quarrel openly as leaders, you are scaring us as citizens. As a ruling party together with the opposition political parties, try to desist from this trend of openly quarrelling on daily basis in (the) press. It's not necessary, it's not helpful to the nation. Concentrate on development."

He said all the workers were labouring to develop the nation and that they needed government's support and respect.

Chaala said it was embarrassing that some workers in Zambia were being paid K100,000 as housing allowance.

He said it was sad that the government considered criticism on governance as politicking.

"But we need good governance in order for the economy to develop. We are not just politicking. We want you to see sense in this, when it comes to workers' rights honourable minister these who are gathered here I know that they are government workers. Currently we are actually bargaining, it's very difficult on the table. Where do you expect an employee to find a house at K100,000? I feel sad when I sit before the bargaining table. Let's do something, let's develop a human heart as leaders. Those are mere titles but we are all humans," Chaala said.

Chaala urged the government to put up good labour laws so that investors could pay their workers well.

Lands minister Peter Daka said called on the labour movement to intensify workers' education especially on the issues of basic rights at work, discipline, hard work and high level of productivity.

"This year's theme reminds us that our country is caught in the global economic recession. The crisis is certainly undermining Zambia's economic achievements in the recent past, particularly in the mining sector which is the mainstay of our economy. For example copper prices declined from US$8,900 per metric tonne in July 2008 to US$ 3,000 per metric tonne in January 2009, as a result bringing about operational difficulties in the mining sector resulting in loss of jobs and reduced foreign exchange earnings leading to rapid depreciation of the kwacha," Daka said.

Meanwhile, Chipata district ZCTU chairman general George Daka said pay day had now become a day of mourning to a Zambian worker because of meagre salaries.

Daka said many workers in Zambia depend on credit because of the meagre salaries, adding that there were some employers who did not even have regard for Labour Day.

He said it was sad that there were a lot of terminologies, which were aimed at disadvantaging a worker.

"A worker today is always disadvantaged due to the fact that there is always new terminologies which comes every year. Two years ago we had the HIPC, which up to now we can't understand that HIPC is no longer there. What we have today is global economic crisis, another terminology which always disadvantage a worker. Come next year, we’ll have another terminology. Are we going to survive as workers?" asked Daka.

Labels: FENSON MWAPE, POLITICS, ZCTU

posted by MrK @ 3:50 PM