Maravi

Finnegan advises govt to embrace employment intensive investment

Finnegan advises govt to embrace employment intensive investment
Written by Mwila Chansa in Kitwe
Tuesday, June 09, 2009 8:55:21 PM

INTERNATIONAL Labour Organisation (ILO) representative for Malawi, Zambia and Mozambique Gerry Finnegan has advised the government to embrace employment intensive investment as a short and medium- term measure to cushion the effects of the global economic crisis on workers

And Finnegan has noted that the global economic crisis has put extra pressure and stress on workers. Meanwhile, Copperbelt Province minister Mwansa Mbulakulima has urged people in the province not to resist diversification.

In an interview after the official launch of the Luanshya Integrated Support Initiative for Employment on Monday, Finnegan observed that the government could use the crisis to invest in repairing infrastructure such as feeder roads and schools, thereby creating short-term employment for people.

He also said the government should work hard in identifying growth sectors. Finnegan further urged unions to dialogue with the government in resolving the industrial disputes currently prevailing in the health and education sectors.

"Social dialogue is very important in the context of industrial relations. So the representative unions in health and education should sit together and discuss these issues and grievances," said Finnegan.

"I don't think anyone would want to lose days due to striking; that becomes the last resort."

And Finnegan said there was no single solution to labour-related challenges posed by the global economic crisis.

He said although it was encouraging for people to drift into the informal sector especially those that had been laid off, the formal sector still remained cardinal to securing the much-needed Foreign Direct Investment.

"For example, if the plans of the new investor for Luanshya Copper Mine materialise, it would take a lot of entrepreneurs to employ the number of people that the mine intends to take," said Finnegan.

Meanwhile, Mbulakulima said efforts to empower people with other survival skills should go beyond the economic crisis.

He said that the fact that Luanshya mine would be re-opened soon was no excuse for people to shun diversification programmes because they would still face challenges that would require them to have skills away from mining.

"I remember when we had a rally here last month and we talked about diversification, one of the people in the audience was heard saying that 'ifyo fyenu' [that's your own problem], but there must be ownership to these kind of programmes," observed Mbulakulima.

Labels: GERRY FINNEGAN, ILO, JERRY FINNEGAN, JOBS, MWANSA MBULAKULIMA

posted by MrK @ 7:59 PM