Maravi

Masebo slams casualisation

COMMENT - Employers don't do 'what is right' - that would be against the law. What they do is profit maximisation. Therefore, it is to the government to limit what employers are allowed to do.

Masebo slams casualisation
By Moses Kuwema
Sun 23 May 2010, 04:00 CAT

CHONGWE MMD member of parliament Sylvia Masebo has said casualisation promotes negative effects like child labour which compromises social and economic development.

Officiating at the Labour Day award presentation held at Nutri Feeds on Thursday, Masebo urged management at Nutri feeds not to engage in casualisation saying it would have long-term negative implications on the company’s performance.

“I’m aware that employers engage workers for one year then re-engage them to avoid paying gratuity. My appeal to employers is that do what is right. To the workers, I would like to urge you to believe that this company is yours because it has given you a job on which your family depends on as a major source of income,” Masebo said.

“It is important to note that the prosperity of this company has a proportion positive implication on the levels of income to be earned. I know there are some workers who have a bad working culture. We don’t like to work hard but I want to tell you that put in your best so that it remains with management to reciprocate.”

Masebo said if they worked hard it would become easy for management to improve the conditions of service.

Chongwe district commissioner Japhen Mwakalombe appealed to investors in the district to employ workers on contractual basis as opposed to casual employment.
He said investors should also ensure that children under the age of 18 were assisted with education instead of employing them as farm labourers.

And Ross Breeders Zambia limited managing director Colin Lindsay said the contribution and dedication of those who did not receive prizes was equally important.

Meanwhile, during a tour of the Zambia Air Services Training Institute (ZASTI), Masebo said there was need to sensitise leaders on the importance of the aviation industry.

Masebo said as a sovereign state, there was need for Zambia to have an aviation sector.

She said management should get together in an effective way and articulate the various issues affecting the institution to the government.

And ZASTI principal Billieard Shingalili said the institute was operating under difficult conditions.

Shingalili said ZASTI was supposed to operate under an annual budget of K9 billion but government had only allocated K1.2 billion of which on K600 million had so far been released.

“We are not going to be able to meet the programmes we are supposed to… K9 billion is supposed to be for the whole year,” he said.

Shingalili said the institution was in need of a bus for members of staff which would go a long way in addressing the transport problems at the institution.

Labels: CASUALISATION, NUTRI FEEDS, SYLVIA MASEBO

posted by MrK @ 4:48 AM