GOVERNMENT has warned that it will take stern action against investors who exploit workers on the pretext of high production costs.
And Minister of Labour, Sports, Youth and Gender Fackson Shamenda has said Government will firmly deal with corrupt labour officers.
Mr Shamenda said in Ndola yesterday there are investors who exploit workers while others take good care of them.
“We have good employers, but some of them want to exploit our workers. As Government we are not going to entertain that,” Mr Shamenda said.
He also dismissed assertions that all foreign investors exploit their workers. Mr Shamenda called on investors to take stock of their actions because the new government will not tolerate the exploitation of workers.
He was speaking at a press briefing after touring Zambezi Portland Cement Limited, El-Sewedy Electric Limited and Gourock Industries in Ndola.
Mr Shamenda said Government will not allow employers to pay their workers salaries that are below the minimum wage.
He said companies whose workers are represented by trade unions are expected to pay salaries that are above the statutory minimum wage.
“Within the course of this week we expect to receive proposals for the revised wages for shop workers,” Mr Shamenda said.
And Mr Shamenda has issued a one-week ultimatum for investors to resolve industrial disputes. Mr Shamenda said his ministry and that of Home Affairs will work together to ensure companies engage expatriates in fields where skilled labour is not available locally.
“Once we find out that there are expatriates employed in certain positions and we have qualified Zambians to work in those same positions we will revoke their work permits,” he said.
Mr Shamenda said Government wants to see companies operate in harmony for increased production. Earlier, at Zambezi Portland Cement (ZPC), Mr Shamenda urged management to ensure workers are represented by a union of their choice.
ZPC managing director Antonio Ventriglia said his human resource manager has held meetings with various unions on the matter.
Mr Ventriglia said his company has always adhered to labour laws. He said ZPC has more than 600 workers, and is working in harmony them despite last week’s protests.
“Management took a decision to award all workers K500,000 across the board,” he said. Mr Ventriglia said the six workers whose contracts were terminated reported for work drunk, which is against the law.
And at Elsewedy Electric Limited, Mr Shamenda urged management to ensure that all industrial disputes are resolved within a week.
He urged the protesting workers to go back to work as management addresses their grievances.
Meanwhile, more than 500 casual workers yesterday protested against poor salaries at Gourock Industries.
Mr Shamenda, who rushed to the company, called on the workers to return to work and allow Government to revise the minimum wage.
Gourock chief executive officer Raul Rao said the outsourced labour force will be incorporated into the company.
Mr Rao said the company has engaged trade unions to represent the workers.
[Zambia Daily Mail]
Mr Shamenda and your team please do not take Zambians for granted.Can you clear the air at NFCA were we are receiving conflicting reports about the K2,000,000.00 salary increment.Some employees still insist its not there as their CEO claimed your deputy Mr Mbulu issued directives without allowing NFCA Management to respond.These Chinese infesters even asked employees to get K2,000,000.00 from Sata at State House.INSULTING OUR PRESIDENT.Read the news paper reports,their Corparate Affairs Manager has been dogging all questions,but employees have humbly gone back to work.And by the way,we are reliably informed that NFCA has a Chinese Human Resources Manager.We cant tolerate that.Shamenda please deport this fellow immediately,and let a Zambian take up the job.BE QUICK
VISIT LUMWANA MINE WHERE WE HAVE BUYERS FROM EUROPE AND OTHER COUNTRIES.THESE CHAPS ARE VERY STUPID AND THEY DO NOT EVEN CONSIDER ZAMBIAN SUPPLIERS
Hon. Minister your government should go further and review guidelines on how investors should set up companies in Zambia. We should ensure inclusion of local directorship as a way to encourage local participation and provide a check on undue activities that some of these companies engage in. Similarly, government should specify local percentage participation in contracts, so that foreign companies do not have the monopoly and break the cartels that foreign companies have formed. Its our country and we should be benefiting in the wealth the country creates, lest we are promoting neo colonialism!! Look at the number of foreigners “shining” in our country at our expense. Its heart rending!
Mr Shamenda,what do you think will happen when these poor miners at NFCA realise they have been cheated again?THERE….WILL…BE…WAR.As long as we allow foreign infesters to jobs that Zambians can do better,then problems will never end.Why should NFCA company have a Chinese Human Resources Manager?You as the government even know that and you haven’t protested.Im sure this Chinese Changa Changa applies Chinese labour laws which are creating problems for our brothers and sisters at NFCA.Zambia is for Zambians,period.Address the situation.ABASH CHINESE INFESTERS!!!!!!!!!!!!!
i LIKE shamenda’s new language and action. if employers don’t obey our laws, let us deny them work permits. if ministers went to visit their respective ministries like the Cobra himself used to do, there will be development. if they give dealines, work will be done. May bwe the cobra’s 90s is gonna work. lets wait ‘n see
Hope the labour MIinister wil do something something about casualisation at bank of zambia
Continue with the follow ups and make sure your directives are implemented. Zambia has some good laws but they are not implemented due to lack of follow ups.
In lumwana mine the contractors from south africa do small jobs like metal fabrication and welding which can be done by zambian. A contractor from chingola who was doing those jobs has been stoped. they is corruption those white manegers are bing payed in SA by thoes contractors can someone assite as we also need contractes
We the people of Zambia voted for the new regime so that we do away with casualisation of labour.Mr minister sir we need our people to be on permanent basis so that security is grated not what zambians have gone through for too long enough is enough.We have been exploited by this bogus infestors(investors) and its high time we show them that we need a sound salary to meet our needs and proper condition of service.Investors need our labour for them to be who they are.Mr minister please go ahead and revoke all the work permits from those doing jobs a Zambian can do.In Kapiri-Mposhi at LK takeaway at filling station those guys doing supervision of Ladies selling ifitumbuwa should go.Zambians can do that kind of job twapapata.
One Zambia, One Nation!!! The time for change has already come. It seems above all, our immigration system has been handled carelessly in the past. Here in Lumwana Mines we have a lot positions which are being filled by expats to a point where we even have an expat driver. We understand the urgency of having expats in other positions for as long as there experience is as truthful as ours. But if we are going to have positions that can be filled in by a Zambian and when you apply you are told this is apposition for an expat then we might as well leave everything for them to handle. This is our country and if we don’t fill at home in our country then we are foolish. It’s all because we have weak people amongst ourselves as Zambians and we can’t stand up for our fellow countrymen.
ONE TOWN AT A TIME. WITHIN 90 DAYS 72 DISTRICTS WILL BE COVERED. PF CALCULATED PROPERLY.
MR SHAMENDA KWENA U RE WORKING. JUST WATCHING FOOTBALL YOU TELL KALU TO FIRE THE COACH. YESTERDAY U WERE IN NDOLA AND IRONED OUT ISSUES WOW. U DESERVED MY VOTE.
NOW WAITING FOR MONTH END TO CHECK THEIR PAYSLIPS.
THANKS. DONCHI KU TELL THEM
Sounds good, Mr Minister. One would wonder how the MMD govt allowed all these things mentioned in blogs above. Did they care about Zambians? It seems foreigners took over Zambia.
LETS SEE WHAT YOU’RE GONNA DO ABOUT KCM & MOPANI! When you very well know that they have an excess of expatriates where Zambians can do the same if not a better job than these maqaqs (monkeys)…wila tu sechingaa mukamba ****son ka! twa ka ku lekeko…
Its like you read my mind! You seem to understand a lot about this, such as you wrote the guide in it or something. I feel that you just can do with a few p.c. to drive the message home a bit, but other than that, this is great blog. A fantastic read. I’ll certainly be back.