Workers at Kawambwa Tea Company (KTC) are appealing to government to repossess the company in order to ease their sufferings.
The workers have alleged that the current investor has failed to run the company.
Speaking to ZANIS in Kawambwa, the workers’ representative, Peter Mutale, said government should urgently take over the company, accusing the investor of having failed them.
Mr Mutale, who was flanked by casual and permanent workers, charged that there was urgent need for the government to come in.
He said it was clear that the current investor has failed to run the company which he said is profitable because nothing has changed in terms of looking into workers plight.
He suggested that the government should get some shares if it fails to take over the entire company.
And Mr Mutale said there is need for management to consider increasing workers’ wages and salaries in order for them to catch up with the current economic crisis.
Mr. Mutale noted that prices of most essential commodities have increased but workers are still getting old salaries, which he called peanuts, which cannot sustain their families.
He added that the daily operation of the company is entirely dependent on the local people who have failed to run it, a move he said should also be checked.
And Mr Mutale has bemoaned lack of workers’ safety clothings and appealed to the company management to urgently purchase them.
Mr Mutale said workers had for a long time been using their own safety clothes and tools for them to operate in the factory and in tea fields.
He added that tea fields are infested with snakes and workers are working in fear as they are not protected with gum boots and pairs of overalls.
But speaking in a separate interview with ZANIS, acting factory manager, John Bunda, said he is happy that that the company has started improving.
Mr Bunda said at the moment, production of green leaf is 25 tonnes per day.
Mr Bunda said all the casual workers’ four months outstanding arrears have been paid but admitted that permanent workers have not yet been cleared their eight months’ salaries.
He said there is much improvement at the plantation as inputs were now in place since 200 metric tonnes of fertilizer have been received.
And a check by ZANIS at the tea estate found that almost all the fields were in tall grass because weeding came to halt for about six months after workers went on strike demanding to be paid their salaries and wages.
Is that OK?
The government will probably sell it out to the Chinese infestors.
Yaba
Why not a management buy out?
Tea? I never knew that 😕
Which Govt? We have had THREE!!
Yaba!! Kanshi ni six!! 😮
Why is it that, GRZ has failed to address the problem at KTC.because this problem has been ongoing for a long time. do we have represantatives or what. why can’t they allow the law to take it’s course. do labour laws exists. :-?:-\”;)[-(:)>-:d/:((
Nine Chale this is not OK!! Why the Govt?
Hey Nine Chale, you left too early yestaday…missed you in the house. One blogger on the other thread insulted me aaah! why do people hate peace :)>-:)>-:)>-
Lets invest in this company….suggestion!
nine chale,engine buloko,sony ,ba moze ….you are swift
Rupiah will sell to the the chinese. Even the wife has a tattoo on her bum written “MADE IN CHINA”.
#11 ndolic, how is the day my man….Thank God its friday!
They haven’t been paid their salaries and wages.Whats the difference between a salary and a wage?
Yes Jamaco, if it was coffee maybe you & I could consider investing (buy there & supply Starbucks here)but I think tea is no longer profitable on the global market.
#10 Engine Bbuloko, yes there was too many negative vibes yesterday on the blog, that’s why I even left early. Anyways, good over evil so we’re here again today:)
KTC is better off in private hands.
These chaps called investors are just in our country to make money.
Engine Bbloko
Cool ,dady’s day out.Friday njikata
I would suggest a we sell it off to the chinese! maybe they can revamp it.
#12 =))
For a start we could ban ‘five roses’ tea.Otherwise Kawambwa tea can not compete with the former favourably
why 8months no money shame bwezani and your management.
baby c
ati shani,and then we auction vic falls as well te?
#19 Baby C
The Chinese are even worse, why them.
Lets give the govt a chance to see if they can do it,
These pipo are suffering, this is not a joke.
I feel very sad to here such stories,
Nine Chale congrats l-)
Thanks 3RqU. It really feels good to be on top of things:)>-
Ndolic
Exactly!!!
Ka princes
Anyway, i concur with you! but i dont trust the goverment.
Hi Ndolic,Baby C ,
Its time to let Govt have a go, if things are not working, they can even decide to change some of the policies.
following catch-words to bring the NEW WORLD ORDER
1.belt tightening to be done
2.economical reforms
3.pain to be endured
4.light at the end of the tunnel
5.level playing field
6.restructuring
7.layoffs
8.downsizing
9.redundancies
10.retrechment
11.structural readjustment
12.freemarket reforms
Try Ganja tea. Dat is de real NEW WORLD ORDER, seen?
you guys you mean you don’t know the medium of communicating to goverment?
Use stones.
i can bet any goverment take over of KTC will certainly not be during the time of thier MMD goverment with thier policy of selling off all the country’s assets.those guys could sell the population itself if it was possible (and if they won’t!). :d:d:d
Why can’t the workers take over the company? They could own it collectively. Let the best managers among them write up a business plan that is profitable, and with the backing of the government, seek out whatever financing is needed (for instance, from the World Bank or African Development Bank).
But if the business can in any way be run profitably, why look for foreign investors at all?