Ten people were arrested in Kitwe yesterday following running battles with police over the non-payment of the revised minimum wage.
The 10, who were arrested for riotous behaviour, are part of a group of workers hired to construct the Freedom Park shopping mall. They have been charged with conduct likely to cause breach of the peace.
The rampaging workers blocked the road with stones and burnt tyres as they demanded payment of the revised salaries.
On July 11, Government issued a statutory instrument raising the minimum wage for domestic, shop and general workers by 100 percent. The revision takes effect this month-end.
Police in riot gear dispersed the workers, who blocked the road leading into town in the early hours of yesterday.
Copperbelt commissioner of police Mary Tembo confirmed the arrest of the workers in an interview after a violent protest over the alleged failure by their employers to pay them the revised minimum wage.
She said the workers disrupted the flow of traffic in the early hours of yesterday.
“We have arrested 10 workers from a company constructing the shopping mall in Kitwe. The workers blocked the road leading to town causing a huge traffic jam,” Ms Tembo said.
And a check by the Zambia Daily Mail found police officers with patrol vehicles manning the premises while some of the workers were on site going about their normal duties.
And the site manager for the project, Wu Yi Tian, said he was surprised that the workers protested without holding any discussions with the contractor.
“I really don’t know what is happening outside. I just heard a lot of noise. The workers have not even approached us on anything but I am surprised to hear that they were protesting this morning,” Mr Wu said.
Wages for various categories have been revised upwards with domestic workers’ wages being increased from K250,000 to K522,400.
Shop workers’ revised minimum wage, including that of general workers, is pegged at K1,132,400 per month.
[Daily Mail]
This minimum wage is not making sense. How can we increase wages for our maids when ours in the parastatoes of the Government have not been increased. We shall fire them and get our relatives from the villages so that we see if Shamenda will employthem.
While the minimum wage’s upward revision is welcome the lack of guidelines on its implementation is costing employers a lot through unnecessary workers protests even before their payday is due.
I would suggest that the revision be phased over a period of three months so as to allow employers make smooth adjustments in the wage bills.
But shamenda look what you have created now.we appliciate the minimum wage but it is not inconomically possible.the civil servants who employ more domistic workers you have just increased there money by a small % and now you want them to pay there workers that amount ,nosense.
This is a poser! Industrial unrest spurred by increased minimum wages that emplyers can pay hits the economy from two fronts. The first & most obvious is unemployment as employers will shed labour that they cannot afford. Second is a low productivity & a bad reputation for the business cilmate in Zambia. High wages cause inflation, a little inflation is good for employment creation. However I do not see a healthy (emmployment creating) inflation from these minimum wage increases due to envisaged cut back in jobs and resultant decrease in aggregate disposable income. Lets wait & see the results as there is always a lag between policy implemation and empirical results. However, govt must stand ready to revise its position should the minimum wage increase prove detrimental in empirical data
Sorry meant minimum wages that emplyers cannot pay
Yes the government you love so much awarded you a minimum wage, go ahead and protest against leaders like Hakainde who are opposed to the minimum wage because he cherishes oppression of the poor. Don’t allow Hakainde address. You on National matters, he doe not know what goes on even in parliament.
PF government has proved to be worst government, Zambia has ever produced, the *****s dont know what they are doing. Shame !!!!!
Actually, raising the minimum wage will help the economy. The short term will be unemployment, but in the not so short term, the standard of living for may Zambians will increase, meaning, they will need more stuff, afford to send their kids to school, and did I mention they will now be able to by more stuff. Now, guess what happens when people can afford more stuff? Well, innovation to make stuff happens, and the need for a labor force to make those things happens. Oh yeah, and this is going on while a lot of children who were previously not able to school are getting educated. The overall literacy level of the country increases and the living conditions of the majority of Zambian increase.
My question to you is do you want this for your country.
Typical of PF analysis. Automatically everything will improve………LOL.
lol, this analysis does nt even make sence…. u r so messed up that i cant even explain hw thins work… yaba. hehehe
things…more stuff…labor force……lol…hahahahahahah
To the employees,
Don’t riot to get attention, simply go on work stoppage. You don’t damage public property, that will turn you into a criminal, and you will never see the minimum wage, except maybe the one you leave with upon serving your prison sentence.
Beer has gone up, bread has gone up literary everything has gone up even imports, this minimum wage has just created chaos. Maids have suddenly become a burden to keep….lastly we fire them
A minimum wages can cause cost push inflation. This is because firms face an increase in costs which are likely to be passed on to consumers. This is even more likely if wage differentials are maintained , secondly most companies operate on an annual budget so to abruptly increase salaries entitles their operation budget to sky locate, this in turn will lead to job losses and mass unemployment , soon inflation will kick in. I love this confusion in PF government . HH was right when he told us PF had no plan or manifesto to run government . Iam beggening to like HH . N way get what u voted for ine ndelolesha fye
I do not understand a mind of a black man. True black man is meant to be a slave. This minimum wage law should be respected and employers should pay @ that rate. Even the 525pin is way too small. How can a person get paid $100 per month yet people complain that it is too much. This is very surprising.
A mine in Australia pays a general worker about 2.5million per day yet the same mine in Zambia pays a zambian employee 50pin per day. This is so stupid for zambians to complain this minmum wage.
Since I have a good paying job here in uk I will just keep quite and watch the drummer unfold day by day first nfike na pa Peckham up nkashite amataba I want to fly iciwaya. And enjoy popcorns like the way MMD bootlicker would say it.
@iwe ka woman in red pant, u seem not to understand the laws of economics no one says minimum wage set is bad but what employers are saying is that they should have been warned onetime e.g PF should have sent in a secular to say next year companies must factor in their budget an increase on salaries and other operation cost give them a good time notice then. PF must have put a workable implication strategy than for shamenda to just say pay yo maid this much, when employee says I can’t afford am laying u off shamenda again says ooh come we negotiate or we will prosecute u. So du see the disorientation and confusion PF has. Iam happy pipo are rioting let them get what they voted for , Iam hoping more trouble can come out so that PF brains can be re-aligned with modern thinking
Having a minimum wage is a good idea but to introduce it the government should have done more planning and given all concerned enough notice.Apart from renumeration, the govt needs to revise the whole taxation system. We should not subject the people of Zambia to such chaos. The lack of proper detailed ideas, a clear development plan and a visionary leadership is really to the nations detriment
listen .its not about the issue of increasing wages for employees it is that this govt should first give incentives to business es in terms of reduced taxes reduced satutatory instruments for these businesses to improve on their profits and in turn create employment and not this way of forcefully.doing things hapharzedely and without consultations with the business community as the end results now will .be unemployment
there two things that have to be born in mind about the issue of wages. wages are low if Zambia because the MMD weakened the labour movement in Zambia and there is need to restore the unions and remove corrupt union official who benefit at the expense of their members. this leaves the category of workers who are not unionised like maids and shop attendant who are supposed to be protected by this statutory instrument which is as it should be.
Excellent weblog right here! Additionally your site quite a bit up very fast! What host are you the usage of? Can I am getting your associate hyperlink for your host? I want my site loaded up as quickly as yours lol
#11 woman in red i take it that you are black yourself, while you have raised some good points, you seem to have an inferiority complex. The person who is meant to be a slave is YOU as the true black man(person) and not black people, for all human beings were created equal by their creator.
U are an *****. U can’t see the people complaining. Am in Aussie and get paid well. @ least 2.4million kwacha a day. Yet my sisters and bros back in zed are getting $100 a month and u call me slave. *****
Much do we appreciate the minimum wage, we need time to prepare. Some are NGO who depend on donations and it takes time for the partners to increase funding. Check the stance again Mr Minister.
This is a wildcat strike. This wage issue comes into use at the end of July. What is this confusing protest is all about. They mightbe my friends who failed grade 7 hence misunderstanding the minister’s directiveness. In one hand I think that the minister must put all salary matters and benefits into booklet that could be distributed to all companies and organisations. In the other hand I feel that the increament should have put into forces at the beginning of next year to allow or gice employers enough time to create a new budget for their company employees salaries and benefits.
Malawi increase minimum wage rate over 100 percent
By Malawi News Agency
July 27, 2012 · 33 Comments
Domestic workers should now smile as government has stipulated that their daily rate of payment should no longer be K178.25 but K317.
Octopus Paul Bwalya and Maxwell. PF Bootlikers need to comment on these riots addressing causes and implications of populist announcements that have characterised PF govt. The strategy of duping and deceptive political rhetoric with passage of time will make Zambians realise that PF is without any agenda to fulfill any of the promises they made to Zambians before elections. To some, like you PF is serviour of Zambia and Sata has all the solutions to the development of Zambia even within 90 days Sata had delivered some thing to Zambia. What a shame to hold on to blantant lies to Zambians.
Another good intention spoilt by lack of consultation and the desire to have immediate effect implementation date. Minimum wage concept is good but must be researched properly and implemented in a phased and well coordinated manner to allow people and companies to plan. Security companies, cleaning firms have to pay higher wages even below what they charge me? How can this be except they increase the cost of security services? For a maid in Kaputa, who can afford such a salary? Anyway, let me stop here coz no one is ready to listen to dissenting views in this Government. Bwafya!
there we go again
Thanks a lot for providing individuals with an extremely terrific chance to check tips from this site. It’s usually very useful plus full of a good time for me personally and my office co-workers to search your site on the least three times weekly to learn the fresh secrets you have got. Not to mention, I’m usually contented with all the impressive things you serve. Certain 2 facts in this posting are unquestionably the most suitable I’ve had.
I have been browsing online greater than three hours lately, yet I by no means discovered any interesting article like yours. It’s lovely value sufficient for me. In my view, if all webmasters and bloggers made excellent content as you probably did, the net will likely be much more useful than ever before.
i have been following this kids comments and i can now comment that he is always out of line and one can see that this is the time has come to know the net.\:d/:((
@hatland coupon, for sure its your coupon
arrest the employers you chaps not employees..
these employers need to understand that the revised minimum wage should apply to everyone
coz if eg if a maid is paid 500pin plus and someone gets paid 2million and has a family to look after how is going to manage.companies need revise the salaries finish no 2 ways about it
What nonsense it is to complain about a $100 salary. What is 500 pin you devils? Is it not the money you spend on beer just in one day? Is it not the cash you spend on talktime in a day?? Really it is suprising that a lot of you rejoicy when these poo guys suffer and being treated like animals …shame you guys. Where on eath a brother turns against a brother? Ohh what a corrupt bunch of people Zambia has.
We have let our maid go. We are tired of being over patriotic, we have decided to rely on washing machines- dish and laundry (after all these were the ones she was using). All will be well. As for cleaning the house the maid will be coming in twice a week. We shall take turns to cook and freeze the food; warm with a microwave.
I like the valuable information you supply for your articles. I will bookmark your blog and test again here frequently. I’m fairly sure I will learn many new stuff proper here! Good luck for the following!