ZCTU blames govt for poor performance of labour movement

ZCTU blames govt for poor performance of labour movement
By Agness Changala
Sun 22 Aug. 2010, 04:00 CAT

ZAMBIA Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU) secretary general Roy Mwaba has blamed the MMD government for the poor performance of the labour movement in the country.

Mwaba said in an interview that the problems being experienced in the labour movement were as a result of the government’s failure to manage issues of labour and lack of implementation of the existing laws and policies.

He said the government was deliberately causing problems so that union affiliates could rebel against their union leaders.

Mwaba said funding to the labour ministry was nothing to talk about because the government did not attach any importance to it.

He said the ministry was also incapacitated to carry out its duties because of the shortage of inspectors. Mwaba said there were several workers who were suffering because their employers had ignored issues of safety and health while the government remained mute.

He said it was common knowledge that people no longer had the desire to belong to the labour movement because they felt that they were not well represented.

“While there’s some element of truth in that the congress is not serving the aspirations and expectations of the workers, my appeal is to go to the drawing board,” he said. “What has caused this and not just condemnation of what caused the mess.”

Mwaba admitted that ZCTU was not as vibrant as it used to be 10-15 years ago.

He said the affiliates were partially to blame for the dormancy of ZCTU because the leadership came from the same people.

Mwaba said it was important that affiliates were part of the solution to the problems because they were responsible for the strengths and failures.
He said the labour movement must unite, work together and come up with a formidable leadership that is not just emotional.

However, Mwaba said he had taken up the full responsibility of the problems facing the labour movement as chief executive officer.

“I accept the blame. But we must do self-surgery and ensure that people that are speaking do their homework, “he said. “Clean their bedrooms and they must not wash dirty linen in public.”

He said it was difficult to be a union leader because whenever they criticized the government, they were perceived to be opposition sympathisers and vice versa.

And Mwaba asked the government to be transparent when bringing investors in the country.

He said the government’s failure to involve the labour movement always showed that they had something to hide.

“They should become more transparent and ensure that they involve the labour movement,” he said.

Mwaba said for the government to avoid problems, they must involve the labour movement at every stage of development.

He said the government knew that the labour movement was a key stakeholder in the economic, political and development of any country but deliberately excluded them.

“And when they want to implement, they want to bring them on board. No! There must be ownership, there should be nothing happening in the mines without the Mine Workers Union of Zambia (MUZ),” he said.

“And the other unions, they must be involved because if they don’t get them involved how do they expect them to implement wholeheartedly?”

Mwaba observed that whenever President Rupiah Banda travelled out to look for investors, he did not have people from the union in his entourage.
Mwaba said he would join Konkola Copper Mines (KCM) workers on the Copperbelt in their planned peaceful protest as a show of solidarity.

He said the decision for the members to protest was just and he advised them to obtain a police permit.

“I am joining in the peaceful demonstration, ZCTU will join through me as a way to show solidarity,” he said.

Mwaba said the mineworkers should go ahead because dialogue with the government had failed.

He observed that Zambian workers were frustrated and because the government was not doing anything about it, they would have to look to God for redemption.

Mwaba said the workers were now resorting to demonstrations because they had no other options.