Maravi

Mpasa warns private firms against mistreating local workers
By Godfrey Chikumbi in Kawambwa
Thu 06 Feb. 2014, 14:00 CAT

PRIVATE firms mistreating Zambian workers should not be allowed to make the government unpopular, says Kawambwa district commissioner Ivo Mpasa.

Speaking shortly after he addressed scores of workers who had been engaged by a named private company to work on power lines in the district without paying them for over a year now, Mpasa yesterday warned that he would not tolerate any private firm, local or foreign to keep exploiting workers because their actions bordered on making government unpopular.

He said although the government relied on firms for job creation and growth of the economy, it would not allow its people to be abused in any way.

Mpasa said the government was for the poor people, whose plight and welfare it was seriously concerned about and would always safeguard.

"What these private firms shouldn't forget is that each time they mistreat our people, they make them cry that the government is not protecting them; and this is bad. That's why as government, we shall strictly monitor actions of maltreatment against our poor workers and immediately stop it. There have been situations where a firm engages local labourers and after they have done the work, the workers are dumped without being paid. Such actions are evil because they are aimed at destroying the belief that our people have in our government," charged Mpasa.

He assured the workers that the government would continue creating jobs through so many developmental projects that were being initiated in the area.

And Mpasa said jobs created locally should be for the local people and not people coming outside the district.

He said he was against the idea of employing people from outside when local people were also yearning for the same jobs.

"If they are constructing roads, let them just come with their engineering experts, not mere labourers. If you come with labourers, what jobs will the locals get? We are doing all these to help alleviate poverty for our local people," said Mpasa.

Labels: IVO MPASA, KAWAMBWA DISTRICT, LABOUR

posted by MrK @ 7:57 PM