Thursday, March 28, 2024

Demo by NCZ workers enters day two

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Scores of the Nitrogen Chemicals of Zambia (NCZ) workers in Kafue this morning continued their demonstration at the office of the District Commissioner for the second day demanding that government pays them their four months arrears.

The workers who started assembling as early as 08:00 hours this morning have since vowed to besiege the district commissioner’s office until government through the respective ministries releases funds for their salaries.

Addressing the workers, Kafue District Commissioner Michael Bwalya assured the workers that government was actively looking into their plight and that his office has since contacted the respective ministries responsible for NCZ with a view to addressing the problem.

Mr. Bwalya said the problem of salaries will soon be resolved and that workers should not panic but go back to work.

He, however, pointed out that government has no intentions of selling NCZ and that workers should not fear for their lives.

Mr. Bwalya said it was important that workers should remain calm and give time to government as it addresses their plight.

But the angry workers expressed disappointment at government’s failure to allocate some funds in this year’s national budget for the recapitalization of the Nitrogen Chemicals of Zambia.

They wondered how the company will operate in the absence of funds.

Speaking on behalf of workers, Robert Musanje said workers simply want to be paid their four months salary arrears.

Mr. Musanje further said that government should pay for the 4000 metric tones of D-Compound fertilizer that the company had supplied to farmers under the Fertilizer Support Programme (FSP) amounting to K11 billion.

He said this would allow the company to also pay the workers.

Mr. Musanje lamented that workers were dying from depression because of government’s negligence in addressing their problems at the plant.

He observed that if government could have paid K171 billion to RAMCOZ workers last year why can it not do the same to NCZ workers.

Mr. Musanje said workers will continue assembling at the District Commissioners office until government releases money owed to them.

3 COMMENTS

  1. Am from that place. The once prosperous town i ever knew. it has been like this since the chiluba times. KK knew somehow how to take care of his workers though he had his mistakes. its simply becoming a ghost town. unemployment is high, drug related issues and not to mention prostitution on the highway. Ba mwanawasa twafweni!! though we know you brought one more company to kill us one by one.comeone where on earth do you assemble a plant just 50 meters from the residential area???? Strike On NCZ workers and demand your rights back!

  2. What is surprising is the area MP has been very quiet. One would expect the MP to be in the forefront fighting for the poor workers’ salaries.

  3. I also left NCZ in 1996 when it started sinking to go and settle in the village. Since then I have been receiving messages of my friends dying from depression as they can not have decent meals, let alone take their children to School.
    Does it mean that Mr.Ronald Fogg fomer MD went away with all the resources? Ba Mwanawasa save my friends.

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