Casualisation rampant in Chipata – Kachimba

Casualisation rampant in Chipata – Kachimba
By Christopher Miti in Chipata
Fri 14 May 2010, 04:00 CAT

LABOUR deputy minister Simon Kachimba has observed that casualisation is one of the main problems in Chipata. And Eastern Province permanent secretary Eularia Syamujaye has said labour leaders are not there to create anarchy but to be the voice of the voiceless.

In an interview after carrying out abrupt labour inspections in Chipata, Kachimba who was accompanied by Eastern Province senior labour inspector Kabuba Mfana said investors in Chipata were adhering to most labour laws.

“For now, quite a number of them investors have not flouted much of labour laws apart from casualisation. When it comes to protective clothing, I am quite happy because they are really far much better than factories in the urban areas which is very good, but they still got room for them to improve,” Kachimba said.

He urged the investors to consider employing people on full time basis.

“We want them to employ people rather than using them as casuals year in year out. So we want to tell them that even if it’s agro, you are doing your tobacco seasonal, you are doing your cotton seasonal but there are other sectors within your industry that you can give permanent jobs to your employees,” he said.

“They can give them say two years contract, so that at least at the end of the day people can be able to benefit and they need again to be represented by a union because if they employers give an excuse of being agro, their workers will never be unionised and this is very unfortunate.”

Kachimba toured Chipata Cotton, Cargill Cotton, Zhiyas Contractors, Kwacha Milling and Ally and Sons while in Chipata.

He observed that most people working for various investors were not unionised.
Kachimba also said the government would soon announce the new minimum wage.
And speaking when Kachimba paid a courtesy call at her office, Syamujaye said some union leaders do not know what they stand for.

“You know these people are not there to create anarchy, they need to educate their colleagues on labour matters and to act as a voice. You know some union leaders have taken up the role of being spokespersons by rushing to the media every time there is something,” Syamujaye said.

She said the provincial labour office had a lot of challenges especially from the business community.

However, Syamujaye said despite being alone, the provincial inspector Mfana was doing a commendable.