The Federation of Free Trade Unions of Zambia (FFTUZ) has expressed pessimism at the Secretary to Cabinet’s Circular minute of 2007 to Permanent Secretaries concerning salaries and conditions of service for grant aided, parastatal and statutory institutions.
The circular directs Permanent Secretaries to ensure that all salaries and
conditions of service for grant aided, parastatal and statutory institutions and
organisations were approved by the office of the Secretary to Cabinet before they
were implemented.
FFTUZ National Executive Secretary Lyson Mando said today that the circular would
undermine the industrial and labour relations Act which guarantees the autonomy of
the bargaining unit constituted by trade unions and managements in salary and
conditions of service for unionised workers.
Mr. Mando said the circular would also undermine the role of Directors appointed by
government on statutory boards since they represent government interest on corporate
bodies.
He said his federation has since written to the Secretary to Cabinet to seek
clarification on the contents of the circular before lodging a complaint to the
International Labour Organisation (ILO).
He said government could be breaching the right of the workers to free collective
bargaining.
“In regulating the conduct of public companies, government has an obligation to seek
expert guidance of the tripartite constituents through the Ministry of Labour and
Social Security so that these regulations do not infringe on the fundamental rights
and principles of world of work,” he said.
Mr. Mando however said FFTUZ valued corporate governance, accountability and many
other ways through which government could hold businesses accountable, which
includes direct regulation that obliges companies to perform in a designated manner
and refrain from certain type of behaviour.
