Maravi

Govt sets up committee to review minimum wage

Govt sets up committee to review minimum wage
By Agness Changala
Tue 10 Nov. 2009, 04:00 CAT

LABOUR minster Austin Liato has said a technical committee has been put in place to review the minimum wage which currently stands at K268, 000.

In an interview, Liato said the committee which comprised stakeholders from trade unions, Zambia Federation of Employers (ZFE) and government officials from the Ministry of Labour were expected to conclude discussions by the end of this year.

“Reviewing the current minimum wage is something we have taken seriously, genuine and close to our heart as government and we thought that we could not wait any longer but move forward,” he said.

Liato assured that conditions for the lowest paid workers would change by next year owing to the planned revision of the minimum wage.

And commenting on the increasing violation of labour laws and poor conditions of service for several workers in the country, Liato said the issue of poor conditions of work had remained a challenge for the ministry besides the low minimum wage.

He said it was up to union leaders to ensure that they came up with conditions that did not just favour the operations of the company but also the welfare of the workers.

Liato said the revision of the employment and industrial relations acts was undertaken to ensure that employers who ignored and violated labour laws faced severe punishment.

There has been an increase in the number of companies that are violating labour laws and offering poor conditions of service to workers.
Last week alone saw workers at Lamasat International and Dar Farms protesting and striking in an effort to press management for better conditions of service.

And last month, workers at Spar Arcades also protested and went on strike to press management for better conditions of service.
But management declared the strike illegal and subsequently suspended and later expelled 52 workers, although a few were reinstated after various considerations.

Labels: AUSTIN LIATO, MINIMUM WAGE

posted by MrK @ 5:36 AM