CHINESE Ambassador to Zambia Zhou Yuxiao says most Chinese companies follow local labour laws and pay their employees better salaries than some Zambian companies in a major twist of events as labour tensions at companies owned by Chinese business houses escalate.
“Most of them (Chinese employers), maybe about 90 percent, observe the Zambian laws including those on tax and import and export. And we pay better salaries to local staff than some Zambian companies,” he said.
Mr Zhou said this through his political officer at the embassy Wang Hongyu in Lusaka yesterday.
He was commenting on remarks attributed to him in media reports on Monday that Chinese companies follow labour laws and pay their workers better than some Zambian companies.
This comes in light of the work stoppages in different parts of the country recently involving different companies, including Chinese-owned, over poor conditions of service.
But some Zambians working for Chinese companies or shops in Lusaka’s Kamwala area dismissed the envoy’s claims of better perks saying they remain “under-paid” and sometimes overworked or plainly abused by their Chinese supervisors.
One worker who sought anonymity said in the company of his colleagues: “These people are difficult. They used to pay us between K150,000 and K200,000 per month. After President Michael Sata’s directive to review the minimum wage, they have on their own increased the salaries to between K300,000 and K500,00 despite the huge profits we make for them per day.”
Meanwhile, the Zambia Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU) says it is happy that its affiliates have embarked on an all-out campaign to recruit new members.
ZCTU president Leonard Hikaumba said in an interview yesterday the congress has so far received good reports from two of the affiliates.
“The recruitments are going well, already we have received impressive reports from the Hotel and Catering Workers Union and the National Union for Commercial and Industrial Workers,” Mr Hikaumba said.
He recently appealed to the affiliates to take advantage of the favourable environment Government has created to capture unionised workers who do not have union representation.
Mr Hikaumba said the recruitment campaign is gaining momentum.
He said workers should not fear at all to join trade unions because the law will protect them. “We’re urging those workers who may face victimisation by employers to report to us or the Ministry of Labour, Youth, Sport and Gender,” he said.
[Zambia Daily Mail]
Hikaumba **** youu for your poor performance. us used to be a puppet of RB.
this ambassador should not think that Zambians are fo0ls. chinese are well known for their low wage and abusive to their employs. however, i don’t its a good idea for the two leaders to be seen fighting in public media. both Sata and the Ambassador should come to terms. Chinese are used the crook-ate way of doing business but they have to change cos i don’t think this will go well with the man of action.
Cage those fake chinese infesters
Congrats to HEMSC 4 his brave stance on the chinese boys
Your Useless-excellency, please go back to China, we are bringing Taiwan to manage your affairs!
LYING BASTARD…THINKING ZAMBIANS ARE *****S!!!!!
Its called Zambia Hypocrisy
LETS BE TRUTHFUL!
THE CHINESE AMBASSADOR IS RIGHT!
AND IF WE FEEL THE CHINESE ARE NOT PAYING ENOUGH, THEN WHY ARENT WE COMPLAINING ABOUT THE ZAMBIANS WHO ARE PAYING WORSE?
LETS DEAL WITH OUR OWN PEOPLE AND OUR LAWS…SO THAT THOSE COMING IN HAVE A BENCHMARK OF WHERE TO BEGIN…IF OUR EXAMPLE IS NOT GOOD, WHY SHOULD WE EXPECT MORE FROM FOREIGNERS
so what is compering is if my son steal a cookie in my house even my depandants should steal… no !!!! chinesse are just greedy and exploitory… why should people from america and west pay better still though some of our own companies pay less?
This ambassador is always on the defensive – he goes so far as answer back to the president. He is so undiplomatic and disrespectful. He must be cut to size and sent back to China along with his corrupt lot of “infestors”!
In as much as we have to respect our heads of state, we should not ignore that diplomacy is a 2-way street! I think i saw the TV clip of that interaction, and our president makes me feel like he is trying too hard to say I don’t give a **** about you. Try, even for a day to have all of these so-called “infestors” to stop their work. the problem with your type of Zambians is that you think everything should be handed to you on a silver platter, else wise to have it shoved sown your putrid mouths. Think for tomorrow please I know we are hungry but what of your children.
LETS BE TRUTHFUL!
THE CHINESE AMBASSADOR IS RIGHT!
AND IF WE FEEL THE CHINESE ARE NOT PAYING ENOUGH, THEN WHY ARENT WE COMPLAINING ABOUT THE ZAMBIANS WHO ARE PAYING WORSE?
LETS DEAL WITH OUR OWN PEOPLE AND OUR LAWS…SO THAT THOSE COMING IN HAVE A BENCHMARK OF WHERE TO BEGIN…IF OUR EXAMPLE IS NOT GOOD, WHY SHOULD WE EXPECT MORE FROM FOREIGNERSS
spot on
The Envoy is wrong. Just pay a decent wage and move out of the nooze..PPE is another issue for Chinnese companies
HOW MUCH ARE YOU PAYING YOUR MAID?????
The answer is simple (less) reason thats in line with my budget, but if my salary is revised and elevated definetly my maid will. Scratch my back………………
It is an insult to compare an investor from another country with a local one. If China will pay like Zambian employers then we do not need investors we can as well do with Zambians operating the economy. The Ambassador has the audacity in the meeting with the President to make such a statement and Hikaumba should just shut up because he was bought by the MMD government by putting him on commissions that amounted to nothing but pay huge allowances to undeserving members who have now amassed wealth and pretend not to be corrupt, there are many ways of being a lion in a goat skin.
One worker who sought anonymity said in the company of his colleagues: “These people are difficult. They used to pay us between K150,000 and K200,000 per month. After President Michael Sata’s directive to review the minimum wage, they have on their own increased the salaries to between K300,000 and K500,000 despite the huge profits we make for them per day.”
===================================================
The action man is all it had to take.
Cho Nchos were taking Zedians for granted because they knew they had that stooge in State House in their back pockets when MMD was in power.
The question to the Ambassador are we comparing Chinese companies to local companies of the same standing?
Zambia must stand up for its’ rights as a nation, and set a standard meant to uplift the livelihood of its’ citizens, to avoid being used and abused.This nonsense spoken by the chinese ambassador is a fallacy.How many energetic Zambians were killed in the Chambishi mine disaster?How many mine workers have developed various health problems becoz of poor safety measures(underground)?What about the shooting of innocent Zambians who were simply crying for help..and that chinese man who slapped a Zambian due to lateness, saying”You dirty Zambians?”Yet, these chinese were given the best senior staff houses in Chambishi to stay in whilst the local people were driven to the margins.Remember many vulnerable zambians who were abused whilst constructing the stadium in ndola..SHAME.
There is no need for name calling through the media. The only problem that has made the chinese employers paying less wages is a result of weaker laws.The minimum wage remained at K419,000 for a lontime without being reviewed and the guys are exploiting the situation. The Ministry of Labour is supposed to enagage all employers and ensure that the laws are followed.We cant be having wild cat strikes all over the country as though there are laws regarding going on strikes.
An investor comparing themselves with local SMEs. How did they come through our borders all the way from China to come and pay peanuts. They are investors not SMEs that are trying to rise to big conpmanies status.
Well spoken. You cant compare a person running a kantemba ( small shop selling bread milk, talk time etc to pay the same amount of salaries with an INVESTOR these people should compare themselves with teachers and nurses they should be able to pay like Government is paying the civil servants. Let me hear your views.
Whether it is a Chinese or a local SME, the cost of living is the same. Everyone should pay decent wages. Do not be apologetic for local employers, they are the worst. Ask them maids and garden boys. They are expected to work from 06.00 to 18.00hrs.
well said mr
Number 11. I support you completely.
here is a typical representative of people who think that africans are brainless creatures. which zambian companies is he talking about? MSMEs? why do you want to compare wages of a zambian SMEs to wages of chinese zambian based corporate.
We are owners of this country and most Zambians running businesses are doing so with alot of difficulties because of the competition they face from cheap chinese goods.Just pay your workers well or we throw you out foolish ambassador. Go and say the same thing in Saudi Arabia or Iran and you will be assassinated the same day.
Thats what happens when foreigners are always treated as bwanas by a president of a country. Where on earth can a corperate company compare its self to a Kantemba in chaisa compound? These are chinese investment for you Zambians. If it is so, then let Zambians get the mines so they can run them themselves. But I am conforted that HE MCS will never tolerate such nosense from this Mu choncoli infestor.
BULLSHIT ,THE CHINESE AMBASSADOR IS A LIER,THESE CHINESE *****S THINK THEY CAN TAKE ZAMBIANS FOR A RIDE BUT THEIR TIME IS UP IN ZAMBIA.MR SATA MUST TELL THE DOG EATERS THAT ENOUGH IS ENOUGH AND MUST BE TOLD TO LEAVE ZAMBIA BEFORE 90 DAYS ARE OVER. ZAMBIA CAN DO BETTER WITHOUT THESE YELLOW MEN AND MAYBE WE CAN BRING INVESTERS FROM TIBET AND TAIWAN AND THEY WILL BE MUCH BETTER THAN THESE *****S
Fong kong salaries
Better than no Chinese jobs at at all. I hear GBM does not pay his workers well as well. On top of that, he whacks them.
If you expect more money why should you work for the Chineses? The ambassador is right. Go to GBM milling company and ask any worker. They get peanuts.
The SMEs will have difficulties in meeting the mini-wage. Many SMEs will have to close or employ family members as they have no capacity to pay.
PI -PI-PI ….. ATASE IWE AMBASSADOR.
CAN WE SAY THE SAME IF WE WERE IN YOUR COUNTRY. HOW MUCH ARE ZAMBIAN MAIDS GETTING FROM ZAMBIAN AND CAN YOU COMPARE HOW MUCH OUR PIPO ARE GETTING IN KAMWALA SHOPS.
NAFULWA SANA. DON’T EVEN SUPPORT THIS BURGGER. THIS IS OUR LAND.
Dear All,
I salute the decision to recruit more people and i have in mind NGO’s most of whom have no regard for the law.
This journalist is confusing himself/herself. Chinese ambassador says most chinese companies pay better than zambia companies. Journalist further quotes a worker saying he get low. The issue the ambassador is refering to is comparision and not whether one gets a low salary. ACTUALLY MOST ZAMBIAN COMPANIES DO NOT EVEN PAY AND JUST LET THEIR EMPLOYEES RESIGN IN FRUSTRATION. How are the conditions at GBM Milling for example?
You Zambians, Why don’t you simply manage your country better. Laws of the land are your responsibility. Craft laws that propect your people adequately and you won’t have to jump around like headless chicken each time you hear of a Chinese.
I Totally agree with BWANA MKUBWA ON C OMMENT 19. Ministry of labour should develop KEEN INTEREST IN ALL REMAINING PARASTAL COMPANIES ZNBC.ZAMPOST ETC.where the UNION IS DEAD….WE ARE SUFFERING..MEAGER SALARIES’ NO ADVANCES IN CASE OF EMMERGECY’.ONE SURPRISING THING ALL MANAGERS ARE ON CONTRACTS WHY?….REIREES ARE PAID IN SMALL BITS OF TEN MILLION..HOW CAN ONE PLAN HIS FUTURE?….BWANA LABOUR MINISTER.ESPECIALLY OF COMMUNICATION’; MOVE IN AND SORT OUT SLAVERY…
So the Chinese are defiant, lets get a response from Mr Sata or has he budged to them already.
Chinese will take away their investments if we keep fuffing with them. Can someone say soemthing is response….
In a liberalised economy like ours you sale your labour to the highest bidder. If the Chinese pay yu little, quit and go to the Indians, or South Africans.
@33, Punch Drunk Cobra,
The Chinese will never leave Zambia. The country is highly conducive for them.Chinese are found even in non democratic countries such as middle east countries even if they are treated like toilet tissue in such countries. In Angola for example, you find them selling in streets and working as casual workers in construction companies. It is only in Zambia where you allow them to shoot Zambians.Can a Zambian kill a Chinese in China and be spared?SHAME!!!
Be objective and help your country to move forward. If you are in diaspora, you will agree that your freedom to do anything is not 100% compared to citizens of that country, so it is not right for the ambassador to pass such comments. He is actually mocking us.
Where is our Independence?
47 yrs of political independency only?
This ambassador should be sent back. He is not diplomatic and he is interfering in internal issues. He speaks as though China has a right to Zambia. Chinese people are in Zambia by our courtesy and goodness. They are visitors, foreigners who we can nicely tell to go back home by revoking their visas and residence permits. We reserve the right to do so, just like any other country.
hehehehe! Tekanyeni baice tukabaponona. Batila kolwe ashilabengwa enda nakaponoka.
how much do most domestic workers get paid? We Zambians love to point fingers at others yet it happens in our own houses. BTW now that the heat is on the Chinese employers what ever happened to the bad Indian employers.
ALL CHINESE SHOLD LEAVE ZAMBIA BEFORE 20TH DEC 2011 OR RISK BEING DEPORTED BACK TO PECKING ON A BUS
PF needs to investigate all companies especially those ones that are run by colonial familys that stayed on i.e. city investments,Galunia farms,sable transport,trans Zambezi, lender burton,Tobbacco firms then come to businesses owed by people of Indian origin,middle east and Asian origin,then indigenous black zambians and publish a report
Ba choncholi ni ba BOZA!!
WTF are they saying, them and BA mwenye, they treat Zambians like SHIT
They need to get shook up, Sata is doing a good job Of tilimulaling them
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Why are you criticising chinese Companies?. What about Cavendish University Zambia who have not paid their employs their salaries. We as students pay a lot of money, but lecturers are not attending to us saying they are still waiting for their money from management.