Immediate past president of the Hotel, Catering and Allied Workers Union of Zambia (HCAWUZ) Mubiana Sitwala says a labour audit would soon be carried out in the hospitality industry in Livingstone.
Mr Sitwala said this is in a bid to check whether the investors in the hospitality industry are abiding by the country’s labour laws.
ZANIS reports from the Tourist capital, that the former HCAWUZ President said this in an in an interview, today.
He said whilst investors are welcome to invest in the country, they should never be allowed to abuse the labour laws.
”We are advising our investors that we are not against any investor in the country and that we will receive them with open hands but we will not tolerate any investor who will abuse our rights and who will not respect the labour laws of the country,” he said.
Mr Sitwala further noted that it was important for the investors to ensure that they abide by the labour laws.
He said if investors are not sure with the country’s labour laws, they should consult from labour officials whom he said were better placed to advise them.
Mr Sitwala said most of the workers working in the hospitality industry in Livingstone were on contract contrary to the labour laws of the country.
ZANIS
Whose job is it to enforce labour laws and what is the penalty for non adherence? I hope those can be put in place and employers should pay stiff penalties for non compliance.
Former Minister Austine Liato was well placed. Unfortunately he sunk into the dam of MMD and forgot his role and more importantly his origin as as a unionist. Future will judge him.
# 2 General you are right. Some of these guys where busy politicking and 4got to perform their duties especially those that meant others got their earned dues. Failing to ensure adherence to labor laws bacause they shouldn’t be seen  stepping on “investor’s” toes.
Mumbwe pakulila,, nishi pali ukoashitilile,,,,, take this article  2weeks back when investors were kings in zambia, we can`t even read it here. Well done Sata,, we need good condition of work for our brothers and sisters,,, Let`s support the man of action in this 90days
justice
Rupia and sons were an emberacement to our country.
Let them be Audited, It is sad to see how Zambia lost its direction. They favored foreigners more than their own people. It’s a shame. See what Zimbabwe has done, empower citizens. We may laugh at Mugabe but well-balanced % ownership n foreign companies buy Citizens is the way forward.
It is happening every where, even in the Middle East, you cant own even a Barbershop unless in partnership with their local people at 50% each.
Wake up Zambians!!!!!!!!!
The next sector should be the mining and mining services sector, the best the can do is to work with their South African counter parts in this sector they know exactly to formulate, implement, maintain and enforce labour laws in the mining sector, If we can get even upto 60% of what they have SA that would be a huge milestone for Zambia.
Let’s get to do it now no more lip service like BR oooh what was he called?…RB.why did we put that man in power? Guys we should be consulting sangomas before voting it we can’t pray, people like Chiluba and RB should have never stepped a foot in state house, not even to just see the peacocks.Â
ZAWA needs to be re-organised. Too many foreigners in the hunting industry and conservation projects.
ITS NOT JUST FOREIGN INVESTORS, Zambian owners of lodges and guest houses are among the worst abusers of workers. Just ask any worker at a lodge about their conditions of service!!!!
Street Lawyer I agree with you, not only foreign investor, even the Zambian owners of lodges and guest houses, we are subjected to work 24 hours a day with a minimum wage of K500,000
Investigate CBU and UNZA also. Most of their Lecturers are serving on contract! They are flouting labour laws. PF here we come. Na tupoka icalo cesu fwe ba Bemba! We are well vested with Inkonomikisi and Pisinesi. Every Zambian should have a salary increament of 50%! Inga inflation mwe bantu? Imfuleshoni? Enshi ifyo; those are just statistics imwe na imwe atase!
Iwe Chikala it has nothing to do with being Bemba, but everything to do with being Zambian!!
SHEIKH, I couldn’t agree more – there is very little involvement of Zambian in the Hospitality/Tourism industry apart from the cheap jobs that we have to do for PATHETIC salaries. Most of these investors feel a fellow “MUZUNGU” who studied HISTORY at Harvest University – can handle just about any job all in the name of “EXPATRIATES” & “EXPOSURE”. Personally I think South Luangwa, Lower Zambezi, Kafue etc – all investors in the Tourism industry should be audited and the union should look at the conditions of the works and wages. Whilst we do most of the hard work, another person earns the money, its like “we have to do the donkey work and they take all the praise.
Its unfortunate that Mubiana Sitwala is raising issues almost late. There has been alot of abuse of workers in the tourism industry like any other sector. What should be done is to make the ministry of labour very efficient and proactive. In most cases the labour inspectors have been corrupted with brown envelopes and never make follow ups. Let the new administration enact firm and fair labour laws to protect the interests of all stakeholders i.e employer and employees.
Our labour laws in Zambia are very weak such that INVESTORS have taken us for a ride especially in the Tourism Industry. I would want to see a ‘major shake up’ AUDIT from my new government which I voted for. Remember it is not easy to change a government peacefully in this part of the world but we did it. I know that some senior government officials are reading this and I please beg you to note the following irregularities in our tourism industry which I have outlined below.
1. Issuance of work permits. The expatriates that are employed in the lodges/hotels as managers/hostesses/chefs/ guides MUST be checked.
A labour audit should be carried out in Kafue, Lower Zambezi, South Luangwa as I know the local people are subjected to ridiculous contract conditions. Our local people are surely doing donkey’s work whilst unqualified white employees are riding on their backs!! Things have to change and be FAIR. The auditing shoudl be transparent to avoid bribery!!
has this only been realised. this happens all the time and everywhere in Zambia. its quite sad
Go to South Luangwa, Lower Zambezi, Kafue and Livingstone and see for yourselves. We need these checks and balances.
2. Wages are pathetic to say the least. In this 21st century in a five star lodge a worker earns a little as 300,000 per month as a salary. This has to change. These companies make huge sums of money which banked in off-shore accounts. It is sad to learn that they operate in Zambia but most of their companies are registered off shore.
3.The contentious 10% Service Charge which companies deny their employees the right share has to looked into urgently. It is sad that some reputable lodges have a fixed figure per month regardless of monthly revenue collected. Some argue that it is difficulty for the lodges to apportion a service chargeable amount from their inclusive rates which is totally pure theft on the part of these investors. In as much as they give us jobs, lodge owners need to respect their employees. It is inimical to pay their workers peanuts. It is against your campaign policy of ‘more money in your pocket’.
Do you know that most employees in these lodges are on annual contracts? They fire and reemploy you every year and some of us have been fired and reemployed for over 10 years now. We need job security Mr. President. Tourism is a core industry in Kafue, South Luangwa, Chiawa, Livingstone and several other areas, we therefore ask you Mr. Michael Chilufya Sata to help audit this sector and by doing so you are going to help an average Zambian in chief Nabwalya, Mwanya, Chiawa, Nsefu, Kakumbi, Mukuni etc that voted for you and you will be scoring an A.
I want to see a SERIOUS audit carried in the tourism industry. They have taken us Zambians for a ride.
Give to Zambians what belongs to Zambians. Lets rise and get what belongs to us. These so called expertriates do not have any qualifications to run these industries but do so because they feel tourism or hunting is a white mans business. It makes me sick to see our Zambian workers at lodges are treated like slaves so much that they are not even allowed to bring their families at work places simply because a tourist might see a black woman or kid running around. Conservation in Zambia and tourism has been re-colonized. We should also have our selves to blame because of jealous our own brethren and want to please Muzungu’s.
Please Ba President not only in Livingstone but the whole Zambia. include Zambians that owe lodges and guest houses. We are subjected to working 24 hours a day and a minimum wage of 500pin. We will appreciate if our prays are answered.
We shoot ourselves in the foot. Foreingners dont make our labour laws. Neither is it their responsibility to enforce them. Theirs is to obey the law.
It may be that we ourselves are to blame, probably we are corrupt, or weak, or incompetent at making our own laws and at enforcing them.
Aren’t our representatives in Parliament, MPs, the ones who make labour laws? If they make weak laws, its not foreigners’ problem.
Aren’t our police and other law enforcement agencies responsible for making sure that laws made by Parliament are enforced? Dont we pay them for that?
Much as we blame foreigners, we need to lok at how we govern ourselves. The failure could be on our part.
Come on you oxy..morons most lodges in national parks operate on a seasonal basis. Most lodges only operate between june and October. This is the tourism season! Only a fool will employ full time staff to operate what is basically a seasonal business. Zambians you are just exposing your ignorance. By the way rather than mourning it is high time you i.d.iots went into running your own businesses. It is only when you will understand what it takes. Otherwise just shut up no one owes you a living. Get off your butts and run businesses. Boring id.iots!
You are the biggest ***** yourself, you have no right what so ever to just come here and start name calling people *****s – people are entitled to their opinion and you should respect that and if you can’t suck it up – “they say the truth hates and you seem like one who is hating” Or are you one of the people paying people PATHETIC salaries??? We all know that most of camps are usually very busy between June to October but for that period of time if you see what people are paid is pathetic for the work they put it – BUT why should I even be going into details wasting my energy explaining this to you, I respect your opinion but try and speak for yourself and not for every Zambian.