THOSE who cannot afford to pay the revised minimum wages should not employ domestic, shop or general workers so that they do the work themselves, Minister of Labour and Social Securities Fackson Shamenda has said.
Mr Shamenda said people claiming to be ‘too poor’ to pay maids and other workers who fall under the revised minimum wage category should do the menial jobs themselves. He said this in Parliament yesterday during questions for oral answer.
Mr Shamenda said this in response to Mafinga member of Parliament (MP) Catherine Namugala (MMD) who asked how low income workers such as teachers will afford to pay their maids following the revised minimum wage.
He replied that the Patriotic Front (PF) government has an obligation to protect the interest of all workers, especially the marginalised. Mr Shamenda said most employers can afford to pay workers the revised minimum wage but are just trying to be selfish.
He said Government has not received meaningful submissions from the Zambia Federation of Employers (ZFE) over the revised minimum wage. “This government will not allow employers to continue paying workers slave wages. When are we going to become a humane society?
“We are aware that most of the people who are complaining get a salary of K20 million per month and 15 percent of that is K3 million which can enable them to employ six maids. And we are also aware that some people get K750,000 as an allowance for working out of town per night and yet they are against the minimum wage,” he said.
Mr Shamenda said big companies and individual entities continue to frustrate vulnerable workers. He maintained that Government has no apologies to make over the revised minimum wages. Mr Shamenda revealed that the ministry has also engaged the International Labour Organisation (ILO) to assist in reviewing and overhauling all labour laws in conformity with the prevailing living standards.
Earlier, Deputy Minister of Labour Rayford Mbulu told the House that the ZFE proposed a 15 percent increment on the previous minimum wage of K250,000 for domestic workers. Mr Mbulu, however, said the Minister of labour is empowered by law to ultimately determine the minimum wage after consultations.
Meanwhile, the Zambia Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU) and the Copperbelt University Students Union (COBUSU) have separately welcomed Government’s decision to revise the minimum wage. ZCTU secretary-general Roy Mwaba said the revised minimum wage is one of the tools Government can use to ensure shared prosperity.
“ZCTU has the mandate to fight for living wages and it can be acknowledged that even the revised rates of the minimum wage do not meet the tenets of a living wage,” Mr Mwaba said. He said the ZCTU does not believe that increasing the minimum wage will always lead to loss of jobs.
Mr Mwaba said the relationship between minimum wages and unemployment is an issue that requires deeper analysis with empirical evidence to show the correlation between the two. He, however, noted that there was little consultation by Government with other stakeholders.
COBUSU president Thompson Luzendi said the students are happy with the increase of the minimum wage. “We are extremely disappointed and shocked with the negative reactions exhibited by some members of the public against Government’s decision to increase the minimum wage,” Mr Luzendi said.
He said most Zambians are happy with the revision because poor workers have been exploited in the past. “We also appeal to the many poor Zambians to support the revised minimum wage and also to support the current Government on this matter because it’s us the poor people who are affected. This is a pro-poor law,” Mr Luzendi said.
[Zambia Daily Mail]
Mr. Shame thinks that his statement is tough on employers, why can’t he open the mind wide and discern what it means to the employees and the unemployment levels? Shame, please.
Its simple.we shall just use peaceworkers for some hours to offload and load goods it will be much cheaper and many to choose from the streets thanks ba minister for the tip
It is PIECE-WORK!! Not PEACE-work!!!
This is not feasible and will lead to more unemployment. How many middle class families in Zambia can afford to pay domestic workers K 500 000 and above when they are barely struggling too? It finally gets down to the domestic workers either get 300 000 pin per month or stay unemployed!!!!
muletasha!
lesa alimpala!
If they cannot afford to pay a maid K500,000 then they cannot afford a maid period! It is NOT an entitlement to have a maid.
Thats fine you do the work your self law is law and we are employed to obey the law period
How many people in Zambia get a salary of 20 million and above? Stop dreaming!!!
YES PAY THEM OR DO THE WORK YOURSELF.THERE SHOULD BE NO EXCUSE WHEN EMPLOYING A WORKER .MOST PEOPLE CAN AFFORD TO EMPLOY A HOUSE SERVANT OR A SHOP WORKER BUT ARE JUST MAKIG A LAME EXCUSE. .
useles *****,u hav no human [email protected] wnt all da money 2 ur self..God wil punish u
Yes no money don’t employee simple, love you minister bravo !!!!
“Pay or don’t employ, Shamenda tells employers”, that also means “Pay or fire”.
SO EVEN COMPANIES LIKE LAFARGE HAS WORKERS WHO GET LESS THAN 1 MILLION MWEBANTU????????????? CRY MY BELOVED ZAMBIA…….GOD HELP US….AND SOME PEOPLE ARE SUPORTING THAT 1 MILLION IS TOO HIGH…DO YOU KNOW HOW MUCH THESE DIRECTORS GET????????? SATA SWEEP ZAMBIA TWAPAPATA
Half a loaf of bread is better than nothing. Lots of
employees ll regret wen thrown on da streets. And
those sayin some employers r getting 10m etc but
thts y they went 2 sch & invested. Besides there r
only a few earning such amounts eg minister
himself. He is talking nothing & pipo ll suffer
keep on eating your half loaf!
my people needs full loaf!
*****!
I agree with Mr. Shamenda, if you cannot afford a CAR, you don’t buy it. Secondly, being a maid is not the only Job in Zambia please if you can not afford a maid don’t employ. Zambians, lets work up and not support such critics but the GOVT.PF is allowing a lot people to talk, this we could not do in the MMD govt. Mr. Minister you are now in power and have all the instruments please use them. Bravo Mr. Shamenda
Employing when one cannot pay creates a false economy.
If people want to fire, they should go ahead and clean their own house, look after their own children. Just remember to pay the t e r m i n a l b e n e f i t s
Absolutely! The terminal benefits must be paid.
positive thinking and contribution!
WHY SHOULD OTHERS
PAY FOR MY WELL BEING
WITHOUT BEING APPROPRIATED!
LOOK ! BOTH MY WIFE AND I GO FOR WORK AND THIS POOR LADY WORKS AS A WATCHMAN IN OUR ABSENCE WE PAY HER 400PIN ! SO WHAT IS 500PIN?
INFACT MANY OF YOU MISUSE MY PEOPLE
!
THEY WASH YOUR PANTS,COOK FOR YOU
,KNOCK OFF LATE,
IN SHORT ! YOU ABUSE THEM ! YOU TREAT THEM AS IF THEY ARE NOT PEOPLE !
GOD WILL PUNISH YOU!
These days having a car is a necessity, but only for those who can afford. So if you can not afford a maid, do not employ one. Instead ask your mother or any of your relatives which we all have in abundance to clean and baby sit for you. Slavery was abolished a lomg time ago.
Come on guys. Anyone getting less than K500,000 can not afford even a very basic life. People who have babies, take them to daycare. Cook and clean yourselves.
Unfortunately, casualisation and uemployment will go up.
The problem is that a great many people will take the Minister’s advice and not employ!
Although K300,000 (or whatever) is very low, many households depend on this wage and will be even worse off with zero. A more sensible approach would have been to call for a gradual increase rather than shock therapy. Sadly, it is the poorest people in society who will be worst affected by the PF’s policy.
We will do the jobs ourselves…. and then more people will e unemployed. This Shamenda is just going to empower thieves.
So if we all stop employing maids, garden boys and guards what happens to them? on the streets breaking stones or stealing. What about the many thousands of farm workers as well. Lets have practical solutions and not emotional ones
Some jobs that people employ maids and garden boys can be done by themselves! Think of cleaning dishes, washing, ironing, cooking your meals, buying bread, etc, such jobs can be done buy yourselves. its just the mental set which is wrong. You can save alot of money for your family if you did these jobs in your own home. Even the europeans who taught us the use of servants do these simple jobs themselves. Visit any european country many if not all middle class people do such house chores themselves, and its so normal as a way of life. You can do all such chore after work. If you are lazy to do them them be ready to pay the minimum wage for the servant. Why do you want the servants to be your dependant whilst you exploit them with impunity?
Correct. So one answer to your question about why people want house servants could be that it helps to create employment. Only now the PF (as part of its job creation strategy?) is taking that employment away…. effectively stealing jobs from the poor.
Very simply, you cannot create jobs by making labor more expensive!
low wage workers have to be protected from the natures of money minded well to do of society minister is right if you cannot afford to pay dont employ the workers will find meaningful jobs elsewhere if they try and look hard enough.If it is not for the law the so called job creators will make maids work for a plate of nshima and relish.It is the nature of humans to pay as little as possible for the maximum effect.that is the definition of capitalism.there has to be some regulations to make our society a little more just
FOR US GARDEN BOYS AND MAIDS WE ALSO DO FEEL THE MONEY IS JUST NOT ENOUGH! BUT ARE WE GOING TO CONTINUAL BEING EXPLOITED FOR LONG? WE CAN PROVE A POINT. THE ONLY THING WHICH THE GOVERNMENT CAN FURTHER DO IS TO COME UP WITH COLLEGES TO MAKE GOOD QUALIFIED MAIDS AND GARDEN BOYS SO THAT O THESE PEOPLE COMPLAINING ARE SATISFIED AND TO AVOID CASUALISATION AS WELL.SO WE ALL WANT TO BE HAPPY IN THE END AND LIVE DESCENT LIVES?LETS BE FAIR GUYS!!!! FOR HOW ARE WE GOING TO BE LIVING LIKE SLAVES?!!!!!!
I don’t know why people are obsessed with maids and garden boys anyway, are those the only jobs that a Zambian can do? Atase
I am realizing that the majority of Zambian employers must be reported to the CNN project “END MODERN DAY SLAVERY!”
The “Freedom Project”. How can you proudly say it is either you underpay or you fire. Well, the answer is staring you in your mirrors! It is time to effect a correction – a new dispensation always comes after a failed era. A means will correct this long-term slave master mentality in this land! Strewth!!
Before the election I really thought Mr.shamenda had brains, but it turns some of these ministers do not reason or lack serious common knowledge. Firstly, how many people earn 10 – 20 million kwacha in Zambia today? Remember that general labour is typically looked for to help one and it is not a mandatory thing. Therefore, like some people have mentioned if people decide to rescind this help and do things themselves what will happen to these people? My guess is more unemployment – I guess that was one of PF’s promise? Please use your economic advisers before you make statements, there is what is known as labour economics which I think you need to taught or explained to. Why do we have people that lack thinking capacity in power?
Infact many people in zambia get k40,000,000.000 i.e bankers,engineers,soldiers,teachers, C.B.U lecturers , Doctors, nurses, taxi drivers(Not salary but what they make per month after cashing to the boss).
Mr Shame , are these the jobs you promised the youth during your campaign? The reality is , there are no options for the people at the lower end and the directive will be ignored by both the employers and the employees. In any case Mr Shames has no resources to police the compliance of his directive.
There are a lot of conflicting and confusing statements coming from ministers , one wonders whether these are cabinet sanctioned statements or individual ministers trying to look like they are working.
She is so fired!
I agree with the minister and some of you intellectuals on this line. Pay or fire! It’s never that simple you know. Am sure for now it’s really pay or fire. The minister’s dream of don’t employ if you can’t pay is a along term dream yet to come. He is dreaming for the future after PF has been voted out in 2016 but for now it’s more job loses and more job loses. The dream of creating more jobs is now over. CNP government will go on record as the only party to have de-created the most jobs in the world by percentage. It’s always good to break records you know. I rest my case!
China is the second richest country in the world because of cheap labor. Did PF do any reasearch b4 they came up with this minimum wage no sense?
Thats not true its the power of numbers.If 1 billion Chines buy bread each at K1000 and Govt gets 17% VAT thats a lot compared to Zambia that sells bread at K5000 to 10 million Zambians and get 17% vat
Iwe shaMenda just bcoz u can afford to pay 500 pin today doesn’t mean u will afford tommorow when u r no longer minister or MP. Wait, the same law will clobber you one day
Civil servants should demand the K20,000,000 that the minister says is the norm. Shamenda better pay this to civil servants or else the law of the jungle will catch up to them.
:(( what a decision mr minister,am send all workers to you so that you can employ them since you can afford to pay them.
Most Zambians want to lead an expensive lives they can not sustain.How many Zambians in the USA or UK have maids?Zero ooooo we can not afford so we do the work our selves.There is a law in place to protect the general labour force.Viva PF Govt.we support you on this issue.More money in our pockets
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some pipo employ to help others not that they can not do it themselves Policy Failure insistence will send may families in more poverty.If i fire my maid is it me who will suffer?Think. Policy Failure.
Where do these statistics come from?? K20m? what percentage of Zambians get this money? and where do i apply for such a job? Cant pay, don’t employ. Does this mean am now free to fire? The last time a statement was released on the issue, i was told i had to apply to the labour office with reasons. But if i can go ahead now..
“We are aware that most of the people who are complaining get a salary of K20 million per month and 15 percent of that is K3 million which can enable them to employ six maids. And we are also aware that some people get K750,000 as an allowance for working out of town per night and yet they are against the minimum wage,” he said.
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How do you calculate terminal benefits for domestic workers. Any formal
references