Labour Minister, Fackson Shamenda has announced that government is ready to make some adjustments to the minimum wage for small businesses facing challenges effecting the revised minimum wage.
Mr Shamenda said that there are provisions in the law that allow the Minister to reduce the minimum wage for small companies. He has told ZNBC news that this is meant to save companies from closing down and to keep people in jobs.
Mr Shamenda however noted that the reduction in the minimum wage will only be in the interim and not permanent. Some small businesses claim they are unable to meet the revised minimum wage.
Meanwhile, Over 100 workers at NISCO in Lusaka who protested on Thursday demanding for the new minimum wage to be effected say they have been laid off.
A representative of the workers ALFRED KAFULA said the workers were shocked when they were told to go back home after reporting for work this morning.
Kafula says about 109 workers have been affected and appealed to government to intervene.
The affected workers were found loitering outside the company premises.
Efforts to get a comment from management failed as they could not allow the news crew inside.
ZNBC
Mr. Minister, this is what people have been saying all along that there should be dialogue as well as analysis on what the effects would be on some of the businesses. I do support minimum wage but a time frame needs to be given for those companies which cant genuinely manage to pay. For those who can, there is no excuse
That is what the law exactly says.
Do we have experts in these ministries before certain figures are mentioned and passed as law. Or GRZ relies upon old labour leaderz who are out of touch with reality.
The Ministers must get information from Central statistics offices and the Lab our Civil Servants.It seems the minister just dreamed the minimum wages and so it has backfired and some workers will be retrenched from their work places and will send bad repercussions to the Pf Government.
Shamenda himself must be fired for embarrassing the President,this is known as flip flopping and the means the minister deserves a suck.
Dollar
Flip floping every day.
There is a small thing in Zambian law that doesn’t allow reduction of salaries. If there will be this new change, then Hon Shamenda should expect pipo to still be laid off then hopefully re-employed at a lower minimum wage. Or else they will be doing an illegal act.
OR
This “law” should be amended, too. However, during the period it will not be in effect, clever employers will quickly lower pipo’s salaries accordingly. This too will be a source of confusion.Â
But this govt is full of confusion!!! mamamama!!
So much time and money wasted which could have been avoided if you consulted interested parties in the first place!
Shamenda, if you do that you must also know that your end is near.
Government policies and laws that are made must be solid, and not easily changed. This goes to show that you had no clue what you were on about when you talked about MW.
Embarrassing!
This minister is senile.
So will the minimum wage stand or is it now optional?
What a joke of a government. While you are at it please apologise to those people you arrested for advising you on how to effect the minimum wage.
The law on Minimum Wages has always been framed so as to take care of the small-scale and micro companies, as well as the low income individuals who employ other people from the same Minimum Wages. Representated employees have always been exempted from the application and jurisdiction of the Minimum Wages legislation. Non-representated employees were also, before this amendment, allowed to contract out of this legal provision by way of statutory oral contract that were the subject of attestation by Labour officers. There was no need to change the status quo. The Minister should have restricted himself to the review Wages rather overhauling the whole spirit of extant Law altogether.
As sure as day will follow night, there is always a flop after a flip with paya farmer party.
Clueless pack of hyaena! Satan’s experience is now telling!
Over 80% of companies covered by minimum wages are small companies. Now Mr. Minister you are misleading the nation. If your position is not cabinet position, politely resign before your boss fires you; that is, if he has seen the blunder.
I can now see that the majority of our ministers don’t actually neeed to be in those positions if the country has to go forward as they don’t seem to know what their roles involve. I wish qualifications were considered when putting these people into the same ministerial positions and it pains me to be always seeing old and tired people in top positions – in as much as some of them have even been to schools/colleges/universities etc, the fact that they are old and tired dilutes the whole purpose of having them in these top positions. I think as long as this political trend doesn’t change, Zambia will continue to be driven in the wrong direction which is a shame.
You voted for CHIMBWI NO PLAN CNP, so get used u have yoselves to blame
Atase! Chipuba ichi ayi? What was his excitement over this issue? He even went ahead and started threatening people with arrests! Ubupuba! Fi CNP!
Elo mulefulwa ngabamweba ati nimwe BACHIMBWI NO PLAN….. Nsekafye ine. PLiz Tongas and lozis feel free to insult now mweeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Sleeping on the job, by the time you wake up/go to the barber shop lol unemployment will be at 95%Â
MEAN WHILE ZFE SHOULD REPORT TO THE CENTRAL POLICE OVER THE SAME WHILE
SHAMAENDA IS FLIP FLOPING.
Mr President Sir, the police should arrest Mr Shamenda for causing the nation to be in a state of joblessness and apprehension.
we have been given salaries as per govt gazette and these 100 guys we don’t know what for fighting and now facing the dicipline action from the company.
SHAMENDA HAS FAILED IN ALL Â MINISTRIES EVEN IN HIS OWN BACKYARD OF TRADE UNIONISM AND LABOUR.
The Pf Government has really disappointed me in the way they are running government.The people of Zambia have realized that Sata is better of in the opposition not running Government.He has no plan what so ever for this country and he came in with no objectives in mind.
The Opposition MMD and UPND must field one Presidential Candidate in the name of HH to lead this country forward because being and Economist,the country will benefit from his Knowledge and Experience.Never Mumba has no Economic Knowledge having spent must of his career as a Pastor.
Zambians must never make another mistake of voting for old people,they are tired and we need progress.
DollarÂ
we at nisco all got the salaries as per governement gazette and these 100 people asking more than gazette. now they are facing dicipline action by company.
Stop criticising the government or else you will be prosecuted. Don’t be CNP who change anyhow!  As government, we work for the good of all. Dont worry about our inconsistences, it is genetically inborn in our tired brains
Yet another policy shambles for putrid flesh party. Street vending was supposed to be a thing of the past, Chinese were supposed to be sent home, we were supposed to have a new constitution months ago, the cabinet was supposed to be small…………
The Barotseland was supposed to be independent of Northern Rhodesia………
I MISS ALA BEE with his nice cheeks and a nice smile, a president for all Zambians nomba nankwe too much wasting public resources and too much involving his sons in national affairs. Oke kanshi ififine ayanakwe its okay mweee…..
Dimwit:d
Another u turn from PF hahahahaha…thus why these people don’t die because they always make a u turn even in Sex with a prostitute, so they don’t catch diseases.
Flip-flop every day. What a government? Zambians will really regret the biggest mistake ever made to vote this group into power.
Job on training. Is the experience sata was boasting to HH about being in government before? Experience of blanders
what a government. The zimbabwean PS was right. This government changes policies like underware
Mr. President, you must fire Shamenda with immediate effect before he causes more embarassments and blunders for the govt. The law clearly is against lowering someone’s wages, we are all interested in knowing how this will be done, once you set a bad precedent as govt how will you discipline erring employers???
Shame! nda, I thought he reported some people to the Police for opposing the minimum wage – now he’s proposing to reduce it. This has the potential to cause unrest therefore the Police should arrest him for the same reason he asked them to arrest others. 2016 is just too far. JESUS WEPT!
Yes may be those below 5milion capital. Can be considered for now, not people like Hakainde, they should be made to pay through the nose.
The heat is on!!! so what’s the point exactly Mr. minister, so if you make adjustment to workers of small businesses, the worker will rise, if they are fired, they will rise still, who then is in sighting workers between Govt and ZFE?
Some history to you sir, remember Hon Kambwili “increased” salaries for health workers before? GBM came and disputed the story saying president Sata was misquoted. How many Zambian workers fall under small businesses? market shops, saloons etc who are in the majority. The shoprite and games, pick n pay etc are already above the minimum wage. So who are you fixing? This is interesting; this is exactly what Harriton Chibanda was saying dialoque! Dialoque! dialoque! We all want the best for our workers but a bit is better than nothing.
Alas Zambia has no technocrats,please G.O.D. come very soon
Without a plan, without a process, without goal, without thinking, Zambia has experienced 50 years of underdevelopment. Aimless leaders who are up to no good. I’m embarrassed to be Zambian, but I just imagine how embarrassed I’d be if I was a Vice President, or Minister in PF. Given Lubinda, Guy Scot & Nkandu Luo you’re good people working in the wrong government.
The idea about minimum wage was to blind the zambian masses about the hefty salaries they have awarded themselves so that there is no revolt. Remember Nevers Mumba’s predictions?
“The affected workers were found loitering outside the company premises, ……and appealed to government to intervene”. Which government you workers at NISCO? Inchito yapwa tamumfwile? Don’t loiter there, go back to your home or go to Shamenda’s home.
yaba i can’t understand this government. mr shamenda behaved like an empty tin we are not saying minimum wage is bad.he should have learnt a lesson know that dialouge is more imporntant.he must think,see and then act.not like he did.
You are a catastrophical let down to both the employers and employees. You have brought industrial chaos in the country.
Since you want to reduce your recently announced minimum wage as provided under the law, it will also make sense to make it legal and lawful for people earning reduced minimum wage to pay less for basic necessities of life.
Flip flopping. Is there direction in Zambia, really? It is amazing how the minister can make such a U-turn after asking the police to arrest people for not doing what he said should be done.Â
My foot!
pflip pfloppers.
And you ask us to come back home to contribute to national development. It is so depressing to think of life in Zambia. Government of politicians and for politicians.
He has told ZNBC news that this is meant to save companies from closing down and to keep people in job. .
The Id-i-ot is not even ashamed to say that. HE THINKS ITS JOKE. The damage caused already is irreparable. REAL fathers, mothers, brothers and sisters etc have already lost their jobs. Minibus fares etc are already being increased. .
These guys think it is a Joke
The minimum wage when announced its like the minister and those who misguidedly supported it took employers and/or investors to mean only the Chinese! Ouch! It hurts some to be hit with the blunder!
Thank you Mr Minister, its a welcome U-turn.
Please, napapata, my Tonga and Lozi friends. Do not insult here because not all Bembas are as bad as these so-called leaders. Okay, they called HH under 5 but they are overaged
Is the Govt going to lower it’s salary increment to serve depleting the national coffers? At their mature ages, one would think these guys would know that lies do not take you anywhere. I am sure Sata will blame the opposition.
Malabishi! I told you…
Objectively speaking, the minimum wage bench mark is not a negotiable subject. The Minister should not bend to the critics but one thing that he can do, is to learn from the industrialised countries which create laws that are not effected immediately but implemented in phases. For instance, the implementation can begin with the corporations in the first year, the next level of companies in the next year, and probably the smaller companies can be implemented in the 5th year. That is the only way it is done. In the USA, the health reform became law in 2009 but implementation is all in phases with major changes coming in 2014. Learn something from this mr. minister.
Wake me up in 2016 if Zambia will still be existing.
Hon. Shamenda, Hon Kambwili and other ministers should learn a lesson from the above problem. They should humble themseves and listen to others in order to make good decisions. damaged has been done to both employers and workers. MMD behaved in the same manner . MMD had a chance to rule this country but failled on ground of rampant corruption. Opposition leaders are suppose to be working with the government to find ways to end or minimize poverty in this country because that is our greatest need. Stop wasting time on debating on dual citizenship. A Zambian is a Zambian despite acquring a second citizenship. If a Zambian who has dual citizenship commits a bad thing he or she would be deported to Zambia (original country). So why debate on dual citizenship when you know the answer.
FLIP-FLOP FLIP FLOP.I FORESEE COMPLETE ABOLISHMENT OF THE MINIMUM WAGE BY THESE FOOLS
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Flip flop shameless zombies.Where` is HH ,we miss yr daily WISE comment sir! Its more inspiring listening to u than ths bunch of jokers.
IN OTHER COUNTRIES, HON. SHAMENDA SHOULD HAVE RESIGNED ON MORAL GROUNDS. BUT THIS IS ZAMBIA IN AFRICA.
It is interesting to read all these comments. Taking into account the ability to pay by SMEs is one of the major reasons why a sector based Minimum Wage is welcome as the process of segregation of companies into sectors will also take into account the size of businesses.