The National Union of Commercial and Industrial Workers (NUCIW) has engaged management at PEP stores and Home Corp in an effort to resolve complaints raised by workers who downed tools yesterday.

NUCIW President Robert Munsanje said the union was currently sitting with management of the two companies to find an amicable solution to the problem and appealed to the workers to give chance to dialogue and report back to work so that their grievances could be addressed.

Mr. Munsanje told ZANIS in an interview in Ndola today, that protests by workers yesterday were justified because their conditions of service were poor and unreasonable.

He said it was important for investors to cooperate and follow the country’s labour laws to avoid such incidents.

Mr. Munsanje pointed out that some companies have continued to pay their workers between K100, 000.00 and K300, 000.00 as salaries despite knowing the minimum wage as stipulated by law.

He noted that such meagre salaries could not take the workers in Zambia anywhere as the cost of living was costly.

Mr Musanje also blamed Zambian Managers for perpetuating the problem of poor conditions because of their failure to tell investors the truth.

He advised Zambian Managers to learn to tell the truth and inform investors of the prevailing law in the country instead of serving their interests.

The union leader further expressed optimism that with the leadership of President Michael Sata, labour laws would definitely change in favour of human capital.

He called on workers in Zambia to support the President and his administration describing him as a leader of his words and that he would not let workers down.

ZANIS

7 COMMENTS

Pretty October 12, 2011 At 8:40 am

I totally agree with Mr. Musanje that the Zambian managers should take a share of the blame, if not all the blame,over poor conditions and pathetically low salaries. They tell their employers that the low salaries are okey and the I the manager (meaning being a zambian) will talk to (meaning bribe) the labour commission if need be. Please PEP, even I don’t pay my farm worker so little (in comparison with the what he is doing) despite the fact that I know he is actually playing employer / employee when I am away.
KATEES October 12, 2011 At 9:30 am

Indeeed the Investors should know that human capital is the most important asset of the company. Viva Sata
Mpika Boy October 12, 2011 At 9:36 am

How come all these complaints were not raised previously? Ba Union must explain to the nation why they have been so quite. These investors took advantage of our CORRUPT system-Unions,labour officers etc.
kabebya October 12, 2011 At 9:53 am

How can someone get 300,000 at the end of the month?it’s just not normal,these same PEP and Home Corp guys pay there employees very well in S.A and yet they pay peanuts to our people.I hope they will follow the minimum wage which will be annouced soon.If they dont want, they can go.We are tired of the so called investors treating the zambian workforce like shit.You dont want to pay our people minimum wage yet you continue making huge profits.Pay up or go.Others will come and seize the opportunity.Thank GOD for the change of govt.Atleast certain things will change for SURE.
Umuntu Mutwe October 12, 2011 At 9:57 am

SA companies ni ma Rubbish. Look at shoprite, Pep, Spar and many more. CAN YOU BLAME MANAGERS HERE? LOOK AT CHINESE INVESTORS CAN YOU BLAME MANAGERS?

ITS THE INVESTOR WHO ONLY WAIT TO BE PRESSURED BY THE GOVERNMENT. LOOK AT ZAMBEZI PORTLAND WHO EVEN TELL OUR ZAMBIAN MANAGERS THAT THE PRESIDENT IS IN HIS POCKET.

CAN YOU BLAME OUR LEARNED MANAGERS HERE? SOMETIMES YES BUT MANY TIMES ITS OUR LABOUR OFFICE AND GOVERNMENT AT LARGE.

THANKS. DONCHI KUBEBA
Donchi Kubamba October 12, 2011 At 10:31 am

If the investors are not breaking the minimum wage law, there is nothing the workers can do. Until that is changed, they have to carry on working. There are other aspects to labour law other than wages. Example, illegal strikes. These favour employers, and I’ve already seen employees getting fired because of staging these demos without knowing of the repercussions.

When Sata does increase these wages, watch how these investors start downsizing. Now therre will be greater unemployment, and not only that, prices of everything will increase. More people will suffer.
UK-Zed Observer October 12, 2011 At 11:53 am

Biggest problem is CORRUPTION. Laws are bent or deliberately ignored when people are corrupted in the system. Why didnt the govt, labour unions etc ensure all is well with workers prior to Sata’s govt?

Suppose we have a new president at 2016, will things get better or back to the same old. We need to strengthen our governance system so that we dont have to have a new president for things to work. The labour unions, the ministries, etc should do their job all the time.