Zambia Sugar workers get salary increments
By Henry Chibulu in Mazabuka
Sun 17 June 2012, 13:20 CAT
ZAMBIA Sugar Company and the National Union of Plantation, Agriculture and Allied Workers (NUPAAW) on Friday finally signed a collective agreement for improved salaries and conditions of services.
This is after six months of protracted negotiations that resulted in three deadlocks that led to the unionised workers going on an illegal strike.
The company has increased salaries for permanent workers by 15 per cent while seasonal workers will now receive 12 per cent salary increment backdated to April 1, 2012.
The lowest seasonal worker who gets K743,000 would now get home with K891,600 while the lowest permanent worker getting K1,300,000 would get home with K1,495,000 and the highest paid permanent worker receiving K2,900,000 would now get K3,335,000.
Education allowance has been increased from the current K793,000 to K1,200,000 per term for permanent workers while leave travel allowance has been adjusted upward from K1,900,000 to K2,090,000.
Company director Ian Parrott signed on behalf of Zambia Sugar Company while NUPAAW general secretary Godwin Mungala signed for the union during a signing ceremony which was witnessed by Information, Broadcasting and Labour Permanent Secretary, Amos Malupenga.
And Parrott expressed happiness that workers had finally returned to work and that production had started after days of non-production due to the industrial unrest.
However, Parrott said management was aggrieved by the conduct of unionised workers whom he said destroyed company property.
Parrott said management would exercise leniency but would review cases of misconduct by unionised employees in three categories.
Mungala said the union was happy that the collective agreement was signed after six months of struggle.
He also defended workers from the management's claims that unionised workers engaged in the burning of sugarcane fields at the company.
He said workers had assured him during the strike action that they remained committed in safeguarding company property and would not engage in the malicious burning of sugarcane.
Mungala also complained that unionised workers are worried that the company might fire them even when they did not take part in the burning of the fields.
And Malupenga said the signing of the agreement by both parties meant that a lot of progress had been achieved by both parties.
He said government was worried with the negative impact of the industrial unrest at the company because Zambia Sugar Company was an important component of the economy.
Labels: NUPAW, SALARIES, ZAMBIA SUGAR COMPANY
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Zambia Sugar sit-in ends
By Henry Chibulu in Mazabuka
Mon 04 June 2012, 06:58 CAT
Zambia Sugar Company in Mazabuka has resumed normal operations following an agreement between management and the National Union of Plantation and Agriculture Workers (NUPAW) to have the court case in the Industrial Relations Court withdrawn. Zambia Sugar Company sought court intervention immediately after the salary talks collapsed with NUPAW.
NUPAW Nakambala branch chairperson, Dominic Mukwita, said the withdrawal of the case by Zambia Sugar management meant that the union and management could now go back to the negotiations whose two previous attempts ended in a deadlock.
Mukwita said that consequently, the sit-in protest by unionised workers was called off to allow for final negotiations to be held in Lusaka this week.
"We can only hope that the new developments will result in the union and management completing the negotiating process to benefit unionised employees who have suffered psychological torture due to the delayed completion of salary talks. Management made it clear during our meeting that they are ready to negotiate in order to reach a common ground and we are happy," said Mukwita.
Last Friday, unionised workers temporarily switched off factory equipment thereby paralysing operations but quick action by management to call for an urgent meeting with the union helped to restore operations.
Labels: NUPAW
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NUPAW condemns deployment of armed police at KASCO in Mazabuka
Written by Henry Chibulu in Mazabuka
Monday, June 15, 2009 2:59:19 PM
THE National Union of Plantation and Agriculture Workers (NUPAW) has condemned the deployment of armed police at Kaleya Smallholders Company (KASCO) in Mazabuka to quell any possible violence by the protesting unionised workers who have refused to receive new reduced salaries.
The workers have been protesting against the decision taken by management to reduce their salaries by 80 per cent after the board of directors decided to sign a collective agreement with the Zambia Federation of Employers Association (ZFEA).
NUPAW president, Kalilakwenda Mudenda yesterday condemned the decision taken by management and said the demonstration by workers was peaceful and did not pose any threat to management or company property.
''The protest by the workers did not warrant that huge police presence because it was peaceful and none of the workers carried machetes to fight management staff. Imagine police did not know what to do because they were being used to deal with law abiding workers who were merely requesting management not to pay them slavery wages but decent ones,'' said Mudenda.
Mudenda said the huge police presence was meant to intimidate the workers and force them to receive the reduced salaries.
He observed that management should realise that the use of force on a demotivated workforce would only slow production and plunge the company into serious operational problems.
Mudenda urged KASCO management to support industrial harmony by addressing concerns raised by the workers to foster production.
He regretted that the advice given by Labour Commissioner, Noah Siansimuna on the need for both company management and NUPAW to sign a Memorandum of Understanding on how to vary the seven conditions of service had gone unheeded.
Mudenda said most workers at KASCO would fail to send their children to school because their salaries have been reduced by 80 per cent after management decided to sign collective agreement with ZFEA.
Last Thursday, irate workers locked out management to vent their anger over its failure to heed to their demands.
Labels: DEMONSTRATION, KALILAMUKWENDA MUDENDA, KASCO, MAZABUKA DISTRICT, NUPAW, POLICE
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