GOVERNMENT says it is ready to facilitate dialogue between Zamtel management and the Zambia Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU) to have some of the workers retrenched prior to the sale of the company to LapGreen of Libya reinstated.
Minister of Information, Broadcasting and Labour Fackson Shamenda said ZCTU should find time to engage the union at Zamtel and come up with the most organised way to help some of the former workers to get their jobs back.
Speaking when he visited the ZCTU headquarters in Lusaka yesterday, Mr Shamenda said there is need to sit down with union officials who represented former Zamtel employees during the separation process and chart the way forward for the former employees.
The minister, however, said that not all retrenched workers will be reinstated because the action might disrupt the established structure at the telecommunications company.
He said when reinstating some of the workers, concerned parties should work out a well co-ordinated system that will not breed corruption at the institution because of the manner in which the selection process for reinstatement will be done.
“You will have to work out a well-organised system that will not create favouritism. It has to be done in a more organised way,” he said.
Mr Shamenda also condemned union officials involved in negotiating for workers’ conditions during the separation process from Zamtel, saying they clinched a raw deal for retrenched employees.
The minister accused the union leaders of “messing up” the negotiation process, which resulted in retrenched workers facing hardships.
He also appealed to union officials to stop using the minimum wage when negotiating for improved conditions of service with mining companies and others as this will disadvantage them.
Mr Shamenda said unionists should concentrate on negotiating for conditions of service that will make sense to workers.
He urged the labour movement to clarify and consult with Government on various labour matters which can cause differences and divisions among workers.
And ZCTU president Leonard Hikaumba appealed to Government to expedite salary negotiations for public service workers because any delay may create anxiety among civil servants.
He said delays in negotiations can result in industrial unrest, which can negatively affect productivity.
Mr Hikaumba said the labour movement is not interested in derailments in salary negotiations and the bargaining process should always be free and fair.
[Zambia Daily Mail]
i honestly believe that this is the beginning of the downfall for Zamtel…….if they are spaces in the structure that need to be filled.advertise them and get new fresh people in those positions not the same old corrupt people who run the company down.
Someone pls give this bloke a pack of Gillette razors! The retrenchment exercise done by LAP was in good faith. Modern business entails efficiency and productivity using the latest technology and a lean staff structure. Govt has a poor track record at running business they ought to allow private enterprise to manage these assets even if they (Govt) wish to maintain a controlling stake. Zanaco is a success story and Zamtel was definitely on that path. In the case of Zesco, Govt should retain 51% shares while floating the rest to Zambians, appoint an independent board and head hunt a dynamic CEO. PF’s ‘nationalization’ and reckless handling of our economy will turn us into the next Zimbabwe.
please give unemployed graduates jobs, why bring back people that already got their pension when a lot of young people are languishing! this is utter rubbish
Shamenda looks like a stray CAT. Iwe, advertise and get the best brains. We dont want Zamtel to go back to inefficient operations. Look at ZANACO, the service is still pathetic in a lot of branches. The tellers still behave like it’s a parastatal Co. very slow and inefficient. Check the other Banks and compare to ZANACO???? mayo eeh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Advertise the job vacancies and employ on merit. Not like ukwa in state house who is employing his former secretary as ambassador to Brazil. What a joke!
Mr. Shamenda, do not walk on that path. You will regret. Leave management of ZamTel to run the affairs of the company. If there are vacancies existing let the management do a sensible thing, advertise. Your government has no business in the running of ZamTel. Why cant peopler learn. ZamTel with government meddling is going to sink. You MMD chap are to blame for the killing of mother Zambia. If you had worked as is expected of a government you could not have lost the election as opposed to consigning the Zambians to 5 years of PF mismanagement. This country will be dead in 2 years time with this PF
Peolple were retrenched and given their packages.What is all this nonsense of bringing them back? Is Zamtel understaffed? Create employment not this rhetoric you are talking about.
THIS IS WHY I THINK ITS TIME BA BANKO, ESPECIALLY FROM THE RUINS AND MOMAS FROM OCTOBER RULLED THIS COUNTRY. THE TIRED BALLY STILL HAVE SOCIALIST IDEAS WHERE GOVERNMENT CONDUCTS BUSINESS INSTEAD OF CREATING AN ENABLING ENVIRONMENT FOR BUSINESS. WHAT WE WILL BE DOING NOW IS TO HEAVILY SUBSIDISE ZAMTEL TO KEEP UN PRODUCTIVE WORKERS EMPLOYED AT THE EXPENSE OF DEVELOPMENT. WHEN PIPO SAY THAT THE PF GOVERNMENT HAS NO PLANS, SUCH STATEMENTS ARE JUST COMFIRMATION. I AM SORRY FOR MY COUNTRY.
Mwine mushi UUU SUCK!
@Mpangula Mputyu, you’re hilarious! ati ‘stray cat’ ROTFLMAO
UKWA WAS RUSHED TO INDIA YESTERDAY FOR TREATMENT. DO YOU KNOW
Joseph Daka@10. WTF, he is human, ain’t he? Who takes delight in another’s illness? You’re a sick f.ucker! Get a hold of yourself.
All comments appreciated! There is need to re instate some of the technical staff who were trained at the Zamtel College to work on the landlines because there is no University or College in Zambia other than the former Zamtel College that run a program on fixed lines. Many of our outer exchanges are not manned and service delivery in as far as land lines is concerned is pathetic to say the least. Therefore, it is a welcome idea for Government to consider bringing back some of the technical staff.
Government should find ways to facilitate programs to accommodate graduates….. graduates should learn that without much experience one’s skills are not fully baked so to speak…we live in a capitalist society where employers especially where foreign investors are concerned want experienced skilled force…. South Africa has the same problem hence employ you experienced Zambians….returning ex-Zamtel is good otherwise they will increase diaspora numbers
Ba Minister please think economics is Zamtel understaffed i don’t think so the picture before was that Zamtel was over staffed becoz of POLITICS let the company run effectively the pipo have not lost anything since they get their benefits better than those in other companies
ZAMTEL should not retain these pipo we need to move forward just employ pipo when there is need CREATE JOBS think hard Fackson think Ask men like Magande in confidence how to do things you need to learn Thats a SHORT CUT you are talking about FACKSON YABA PF losing sense of direction Too early too BAD
Are you going to replace those who were employed on merit ?
Were! Where were you when I were where?
TAKULI!!!!!!!!!!!!!! BALILYA KALE ISHA PRUNNINGI. NO DOUBLE TOBELA
Employ qualified youth, minimum qualification diploma, those with undergarduate degrees and postgraduate degrees will have an added advantage.