Government has threatened to take action against management at Mansa Milling Company Limited (MMC) for locking-up its workers in the milling plant.
The management yesterday locked-up 13 workers in the milling plant as a security measure to curb the suspected increased stealing of mealie-meal bags at the company.
The general workers were locked-up in the plant from 18:00 hours to 07:00 hours today and had no access to the keys incase of an occurrence of an accident, such as a fire break-out, inside the plant.
Mansa District Commissioner, Major Chibwe Nsakasha, who rushed to the company after receiving a report, seized the keys from the Company’s Milling Manager, Andrew Miti, to unlock the gates to the milling plant and freed the workers.
Major Nsakasha strongly condemned the measure by MMC management, describing it as inhumane and degrading to human dignity.
He said government will not condone company management that flouted the country’s labour laws which he said were clear and easy to implement.
Major Nsakasha stated that reported theft cases of mealie-meal at the plant could not warrant locking-up workers in the plant, saying the measure was against the Zambian labour laws.
He noted that the measure could result in loss of lives through fire, noting that there have been fatal accidents at plants where a similar measure had been taken in the country.
The DC said the management at the company could have reported the theft cases to the relevant wings of government in order to commence investigations rather than locking-up the workers.
“Government strongly condemns the locking-up of workers in the plant. The action by management at the company does not attract any sympathy, especially that you did not even report the theft cases to the police to investigate,” Major Nsakasha said.
Company Milling Manager, Andrew Miti, said the management decided to start locking-up the workers inside the plant because of increased pilfering of mealie-meal.
Mr Miti said the company experienced theft of over 13 X 25 KG bags of mealie-meal last week and strongly suspected its workers on duty to have stolen the commodity.
ZANIS
Teta’s Milling Company? No comment.
This is going to far. Does it mean the company has no security dept to deal with such matters. When workers resort to stealing company property as a group then there must be some big issues which management has been over looking for a long time.
Well done Major.
Close it, Miti should be taken to chainama for failling to find a right way of addressing issues. Ci color cakwe.
Where are the labour Inspectors ? I thought each province is supposed to have labour Inspectors charged with the responsibility of maintaining minimum labour standards
This calls for a serious change in the attitudes and mind set of Zambian workers. The solution is to stop the theft of commodities. Many employees are in the habit of stealing from their employers. The overal effects of such acts on the national economy are quiet bad. We had a maid who was well paid , she also had the same breakfast and lunch that my family had and other requirments like mid morning or afternoon meals. At the close of the day she had access to the family bathroom and toiletries. The sad thing is that this woman could still steal relish, mealiemeal, sugar , soap and many other small items from the house. My wife had problems balancing expenses until we discovered this. This attitude goes on in many work places.Its not healthy and I call upon our country men to change.
So # 2 sometimes the attitude of our own brothers and sisters leaves much to be desired. Reaping where they have not sown is destroying our economy. One can not do such without being punished here in the diaspora.
#6…….are you saying that what the Mansa milling manager did is justfiable? If thats the case then I dont know where we are heading us Zambians. Why should yo treat your fellows like animals? If there is theft, its better you fire the person stealing and this is only if you have caught that person. Thus as a manager put proper security measures in place to combart theft. Not locking up innocent people. Its bad dear.
Number 6 ubomba mwibala alya mwibala. where is Uncle Chilu today a free man. Even if he got more than 90% of the National Cake. Your maid only got 2% of your income
Fan to note that the actions by the three parties are wrong. The workers action is wrong, the Management Action is wrong and the Government action is also wrong in that it is selective in its action. We have the Chinese Companies who are treating workers much worse than this and everyone is gentle on the Chinese Company. If the Government had acted in this manner on the Chinese a lot of grave accidents involving Chinese companies in Zambia would have been avoided
#6 Agreed, as a company they can come up with much better measures to stop this. It is luck of strategy and innovation in Zambian companies.ooh Ba Zambia still operating like 1905 in the 21st century. Only issue though, back home is the spirit theft, it starts from the top. This concept of Ubomba Mwibala should stop. On the other hand, companies do not pay workers well hence such activities. But this is going too far as employees can be burnt in case of fire.
The attitude of Zambian most workers is really pathetic and most have taken theft as part of the job. People should learn to work without or with minimum supervision if our economy and indeed our livelihoods are to improve.
However, whilst theft should not be condoned, the management has no right to lock up workers under Zambian labour laws and Health and Safety regulations.
What Miti has to do is to increase security at the plant and institute other more humane measures to combat theft. Can even introduce a “Whistle Blower Scheme”.
Stone age era tactics.. locking up workers??? install security cameras… pronto!!. you will catch the thief… surprisingly , you will find its the chilolo/boss pa kapuna….
There are many companies doing this to the workers every day! One milling company I had worked for used to do the same, when the labour officers came they went straight to the Greek MD’s office. They came out smilling coz they struck a deal to have mealie meal delivered to their homes! What a shame!
Number 6 You just said your maid was enjoying everything in the house because we cud just tell her to sit while watching you eat and your family. About the toilet it is just normal to allow your maid to use it. So dont think you were to kind coz u were paying her 180,000 which cant take her anywhere. Iam not surporting stealing but employers should not work should be innovative
Ba mwaanzakabinga in #6 and # 7 , where are you based??? on this 5 star Island home???
# 6 Did you ask your self why the maid stole from you? She may have enjoyed all the benefits at your house but did you pay her well to look after her family? Its not good to steal but in Zambia most people are forced to do wrong things because of situations,we also have others who have just become so greed that they want it all.
This company has no good corporate strategy.Instead of addressing the security flaw the company has,this Miti guy decides to lock all the workers.It is a fact that not all workers are culprits and punishing everyone is unfair and inhumane.Govt should not just issue threats but punish erring employers so as to act as a deterrent.#6,What you have said is true but its not just in Zambia,its in the human nature.Thats why good corporate planners worldwide will always address security to protect their businesses NOT from Zambians but human thieves.
Go to Antelope Milling in Luanshya, they also lock up employees in the plant. But NO government official can touch them. Cameras are a sure way to curb such thefts.
UBU BWENA BUPUBA
Any company that resorts to such extreme measures is an indication that management has failed. Stealing is never right, but neither is collective “STONE AGE” kind of punishment!!!
Surely, if there was a fire at this plant and workers died, this company would have more serious troubles to worry about than a few stolen bags of Mealie meal.
#19. CCTV and cameras are not a sure way of stopping this rot of stealing. Workers need education from their Unions in this particular case the National Union of Commercial and Industrial Workers-NUCIW. Education is the way out.
#19, Education bounces on a hungry stomach, you have to establish what motivates those workers to steal and sort out that problem if you can.
Security cameras remain evidence based statements.,
could be the pay doesn’t measure up to the workers daily sustainability.
Poverty could be th reason. Why steal mealie meal if you can buy it.
Lifestyle could be another reason – some chaps, like drug addicts, may have stolen mealie meal, sell it and use the cash on beer, smoke, or women.
How do you stop that – pay them well and upgrade teh company security systems e.g use CCTV as bloggers have said.
Either way the company will have to spend money. locking workers up is cheap security and certainly not acceptable.
#6 We simpathyse and identify with you. But as others have said, these servants cannot feed their families on the little we pay them. It’s the whole economy that is crap.
#6 I like your name. Sounds Tumbuka. In Bemba it will be Mwansakabinga. LOL Hope you know what that means, cousin.