Global Labour Consultant and Rights Services Director Agrippa Tembo has urged government to revise minimum wages and conditions of Employment Act, cap 276 enforced since May 2006.
Mr. Tembo said the act stipulates that no worker shall be paid less than K 268, 800 as basic salary, adding that it was his
organisation’s suggestion to add lunch allowances of not less than K70, 000, K80, 000 for transport and K50, 000 as tools allowance among other allowances.
He said that there is need for labour law subjects to be introduced in secondary schools so as to equip school leavers with knowledge about labour laws and their rights.
He has further asked government to include a provision for death benefits in the minimum wages, resignation benefits, and 14 days paid paternity leave for men to help their wives.
Mr. Tembo said and the provision for casual employee should be repealed as it encourages employers to put workers on rolling contracts.
ZANIS
Some names can break your ribs. “Global mwamsing”. Napamungabakhande mu Lusaka tyala ati “Global”. Global Climate nayo itivute kwa bassi.
There is very much sense in what Mr Tembo is saying and i wonder what our so called labour ministry does because our minimal labour condition have not been revised for a long time now. And when is the new labour policy going to be concluded? No wonder why we have our so called investors (Asians) taking advantage of our nationals because of having too weak labour policies. This labour policy started in the Levy Mwanawasa regime and i don`t know how far it has gone in the RB adminstration. Or is it history now?
It very sad that we have Ministry of Labour and I do not know what they do in this country. I wa stold by Grand Pa that Labour Commissioner was more important during colonial days than today. Surely a country with laws written in black and white with a Govt elected by pipo for pipo watching helplessly investors flouting its own laws. Across pa Botswana they are serious with the way they enforce the laws. When you are you even feel the weight of the system. All this nosense, the blame is on greedy officials who accept bribes from the so called investors. It becomes tricky for GRZ officials charges with duites to be effective after they get bribes. Do we need the intervention of the entire RB? Yet we have systems in place. Lets get serious with the way we run our public affairs.
The minimum wages act should be revised. What does one do with a take home pay of k400,000? How does he survive thru out 30 days? What about rent, Food , Utilies, Medical and the like? These chaps must be serious with life. If one steals from the employer who makes billions of kwacha out of the poor mans effort and pays that small salary to him, do you blame him? he negotiates with the employer and the chap says check on the Minimum Wages act, what is he to do?
Sometimes I wonder how things are run in this country by those who bin delegated certain duties on our behalf. The Labour Inspectors are a case in point. Prevously there was a problem of lack of transport and manpower. I see a lot of young men and women well dressed and in GRZ vehicles and evening we meet in many public places. They introduce themselves as labour inspectors. There are so many coys which have had no labour inspections for more thqn 5years yet these guys are paid monthly. Workers Compensation Board. The chaps just seat and read papers they dont even bother to visist places of work to ensure that employers are complaint. Napsa as long as they receive cheques every 10th of each month they are done. There are coys out there who not contributing, others dont even remit. Why ZED?
no one in power want to talk about about wages for the Zedians
Zambia is the only country in Southern Africa which has not implemented the equal work equal pay policy. This is why you find that professionals are leaving the Country. It is also the reason why many people who have lived in Zambia for many years cannot get Zambian citizenship because they risk losing the ‘expatriate’ term which attracts good salaries.
Zambia will not develop as long as we are not able to attract and retain competent people from around the world. It pains me that Countries we helped get their independence can now host international tournaments while we languish with only court cases hijacking the front pages of our newspapers. No development stories!!!!!! WHAT A SHAME!!
What’s K268,800? and how much does just the basic mealie meal cost? Let’s not be jokers please.