Friday, April 19, 2024

ZCTU urges Govt to stabilise economy

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The Zambia Congress of Trade Unions, ZCTU, has advised Government to put in place immediate measures to stabilise the current economy crisis, which was the threatening thousands of jobs in the mining industry.

ZCTU Acting Secretary General, Ian Mkandawire, said government should quickly step in and discuss the current crisis facing the mining industry with a view to stabilise the employment situation in the sector.

Mr Mkandawire told ZANIS in Kitwe today that it was worrying that close to 300 mine workers at Bwana Mkubwa Mine in ndola have lost their jobs while another 26 workers have been sent on forced leave at Chambishi Metals.

He said according to reports received, there were more eminent retrenchments at other mine companies and that this would impact negatively on both the economy at national and household levels.

He said the mining companies should not use the current global financial crisis as excuse to retrench workers because the financial crisis has not affected the economy on a large scale apart from affecting the global Copper prices.

Mr Mkandawire observed that mining companies should not use the global financial crisis to get back at government as a way of expressing their displeasure over the mineral tax regime which government introduced this year.

ZANIS/ENDS/LK/SJK

28 COMMENTS

  1. ‘Mr Mkandawire told ZANIS in Kitwe today that it was worrying that close to 300 mine workers at Bwana Mkubwa Mine in ndola have lost their jobs while another 26 workers have been sent on forced leave at Chambishi Metals.’

    I thought the Minister has given a perpendicular explaination as regards to the cause of the retrenchments. Did the Minister misplace his ideas or Mr mkandawire has missed the news and point altogether?

  2. Talk talk! talk is cheap! Talking hasnt helped Zambia in any way. ZCTU, being a body they are, they should offer more than urging the govt to intervene especially when it comes to employees. Its no point having them if they only cry like we all do!

  3. Things will only stabilize when the money markets internationally have stabilised.There is an article on the Huffington Post listing the worlds billionaires and how much of the fortunes have been wiped it is shocking.The no2 person to have lost the most is Mr Mittal the richest man in england,who happens to the owner of Luanshya copper mines.Fili eko tuleya.

  4. Things will only stabilize when the money markets internationally have stabilised.There is an article on the Huffington Post listing the worlds billionaires and how much of the fortunes have been wiped out, it is shocking.According to this post Bill Gates has lost 3.5bn,Rupert Murdoch 4bn,Sergy Brin and larry Page(founders of google) have lost 12.1bn,Warren Buffet 13.6bn and Mr Mittal the owner of luanshya mine has lost 30.5bn

  5. Where is Hikaumba? He’s been quite of late, or maybe he is expecting a ministerial appointment since he’s always on goverment side.

  6. 8. Kamunu Wa Milili

    ” What Can GRZ do? Nothing. It is not like they can bailout the mining industry. ”

    They can take as much money from the mining industry they can and invest in works projects for infrastructure and agriculture.

    That would create a lot more jobs than the paltry 58,000 jobs in mining.

  7. It’s done. Rupiah Banda signs controversial bills for hefty salaries as he flies out to Nigeria.

    President Rupiah Banda has accented to the controversial emoluments bill, less than one month in office.

    Mr. Banda has approved the fifteen percent salary increment for constitutional office bearers.

    Confirming the development to the media at Lusaka International Airport today and immediately took his first international trip to Nigeria.

    Mr. Banda describes the increments as minimal saying he is pleased that other contentious issues that led to the sending back of the bill to parliament, have been dealt with.

  8. While in Nigeria, Mr. Banda is scheduled to hold private talks with his Nigerian counterpart, President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua, before returning to Lusaka.

    As the debate on salary hikes for constitutional office bearers flares up, the New Revolution Party has requested President Rupiah Banda to rescind his decision on the bills.

    In an open letter to Mr. Rupiah Banda dated 21st November, 2008, party leader, Cozmo Mumba says government should place Zambians first on the development agenda other than rushing to increase Ministers’ salaries.

    Mumba is reminding government to reconsider some of the pending pressing matters such as the impasse on book allowances at the University of Zambia

  9. This ka Mumba guy, why the turn around? Such chaps have no vision. I wonder who his followers are in the family party. This mumba chap is now hungry, prior to elections he was for RB.

  10. FAZ furious over reports that Chipolopolo boys were stranded in Morocco.

    The Football Association of Zambia-FAZ- has expressed anger at media reports indicating that the National Team was stranded in Morocco.

    FAZ Spokesperson Emmanuel Munaile has described the reports as misleading

    SOURCE MUVITV.
    News from Zambia can drive you crazy eg cholera, retrenchments, hunger, hefty salaries, uninspiring soccer results, defilements, insults etc

  11. Aha,eya. ZCTU is lead by an MMD stooge who is getting K18m/month through NCC. what can he say>.ZCTU need to have radical vibrant leaders that can fight for workers rights. replace Toothless, spineless Hikaumba. What has he done to show workers ever since he replaced Shamenda.

  12. PACIFICA,so many obeservations!
    yes 2012 should be the end of blogging;defilements,rigging,cholera,job loses,global recess,wife battling,heavy drinking of kachasu etc..although its ecology,awe twanaka!

  13. Its really sad indeed Hikaumba is a shameless ZCTU leader who has joined MMD to glorify his status.ZCTU why cant u pass a vote of no confidence in this leader.The chap doesnt even talk or represent any one.
    The economy is worsening because we are not interested to check where we are going and what we nid to do.You can easily see it from salary increments to the MOST GRZ employees.Zambia is headed for doom and as i write my heart is heavy.Govt shud caution the impact of the economic hardships.We had alot of money raised from LPM’s funeral &by elections change this can help in a way!

  14. True, Hikaumba is no longer fit to be ZCTU president. Shamenda was far much better than Hikaumba. Of course, Chiluba’s ZCTU was the best. Surprisingly, he changed into something else when he assumed the office of republican president. The earlier a vote of no confidence is passed in Hikaumba the better for ZCTU.

  15. ZCTU & Hikaumba are such an Embarrassment to the struggling Zambian. The best they can do is shut up and enjoy their hefty perks while the common man who they are supposed to represent basks in his poverty.

  16. Mkandawire and Hikaumba you just can wake up from a dream and stabilise an economy. It requires advance planning and foresight like keeping excess USD from high copper prices in a safe offshore account and releasing it in bits in times like this. But magande and Caleb offloaded everything as if there will never be a 2moro. All we got was a glut of used japanese cars and an overinflated consumption of fuel in pleasure/comfort activities not production. Teta was busy claiming 310ZMK/USD was due to go MMD policies. MMD should claim credit for this sh*T too

  17. CORRECTION Teta was busy claiming 3100ZMK/USD was due to good MMD policies. MMD should claim credit for this sh*T too

  18. ” MMD should claim credit for this sh*T too ”

    The MMD (and UPND and PF) should publically denounce neoliberalism (privatisation, deregulation and free markets) and admit that they have been conned.

    They should all publically embrace Keynsian economics, and create works projects and make supporting Zambian SMEs (over foreign corporations) their only priority.

    It is the ONLY way forward for the Zambian economy.

  19. Hikaumba is snake the in green grass,no wonder he contested for MMD presidency and he did not want his name to be disc losed.

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