THE National Union of Communication Workers (NUCW) has threatened to take legal action against mobile telecommunication service provider MTN-Zambia for allegedly insisting on settling its former workers’ redundancy packages using the minimum wage.
Union president Patrick Kaonga said MTN-Zambia’s insistence to settle its former workers’ redundancy package through the minimum wage is against the law.
Mr Kaonga said the law stipulates that where there is a union representation, the union and management have an obligation to negotiate the redundancy package.
He said in a statement issue in Lusaka yesterday the union’s protracted negotiations have not yielded any results as MTN-Zambia management is trying to impose the minimum wage as the mode of settling the former workers’ dues.
Mr Kaonga said MTN-Zambia is allegedly flouting the country’s labour laws with impunity, adding that this leaves the union with no choice but to take court action against the telecommunication company as a remedial measure.
He has urged Government to strictly monitor some of the foreign investors who he said have the propensity to disregard the country’s labour laws.
Mr Kaonga said Government should ensure Zambian workers are protected from exploitation by their employers.
He said he is disappointed at some foreign investors who have continued to exploit Zambian workers while amassing huge profits.
The union has, however, commended Airtel-Zambia for the manner in which it handled the outsourcing of the call centre.
ZANIS.
Viva Airtel! Shame MTN! Bundafya bwakuchita sponsor Soccer yet you can not even pay well the people that had immersely contributed to your growth.
Disappointing Indeed.
Who is MTN’s CEO?
Some arab by the name of Farhad Khan
The Investors in Zambia majority are flouting OUR lawswith Impunity. This is because they have the BIG brother the corrupt MMD supporting them. Zambians, we need a change of Government this year. We kick OUT MMD and usher in a progressive party to take over. There is no discipline and respect for Zambian workers any more. These Chinese, Indians and others are funding MMD campaigns what do you expect? Sinazongwe Chinese who shot at Zambians have been freed. No case.
Where is the Labour Minister? This is not the time to sleep honourable minister when elections are just near the corner and things are unfolding like this. The CEO was just blagging to us few months ago that they have now hit 2million subscribers base an indication that they are now making a lot of money. How can they chase our qualified engineers and give them peanuts and the President with his people are just watching. I am told that they were pushed to a CHAINESE COMPANY which has given them temporal jobs. DON’T KUBEBA is coming. WATCH OUT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Next time I hear an MTN advert on radio or TV I will switch it off
Its very disappointing what is happening in MTN, i’ve no doubt this is the end of this company which at one point proved to be one of the up coming companies that can provide more employment opportunities to zambians. where’s the minister in this whole thing anyway? The most stupid thing is that it is the MTN management and not the MTN group that is imposing such useless redudant parkages for the inocent people.if it were people from the group, we would say they didn’t know about our labour law, but we are being sold by our own black people, telling abasungu from the group that just give them peanuts they’ll accept. what a shame! what a way to deny your fellow zambians…
All of you commenting 1-8 here are very ignorant of collective bargaining. Foras like this need substance discussion not flip flops.
The Union chairman has failed to negotiate period. He wants to bring in politics. They cant convince the other party why they should be higher than what they want. Govt has nothing to do MTN negotiations only were they have not followed the due process of labour law. Learn to separate politics from commercial enterprise business sense. Most of you have not run businesses/company before not even kantemba to appreciate business logic.
Well said Nampundu. Reality is that as a professional graduate, why would you need a union to represent you anyway!! Surely your level op maturity and professionalism allows you to take your trade to the wider world out there if MTN has made a decision to not utilize you. On the other had as efficiency comes in and tariffs drop, the consumer does not say shame. That is exactly why business like MTN will be successful. Power to the consumer!
#9, if you were a union President what do you think is the best thing to do on this matter. To be honest with you MTN Zambia, have acted with impunity to disobey the zambian labor laws and this should not be condoned.They keep on reaping billions of Kwachas every day, but why refuse to pay reasonably the people you have declaired redundant. If it was in SA, things like this can never be intertained,
Shame on you MTN!!!We thought the slogan ‘EVERYWHERE YOU GO’ was something to write home about. No wonder we see that you can’t even take advantage of the constant re-branding of you competitors. With such extreme levels of cost reduction how can u be the number one service provider in the country? What you guys ought to know is that any business is an investment and the corporate image of any organization emanates from its Core Values. Now if the Core values of that organization do not recognize the interests of those that have made it what it is then where do there interests lie? In milking the subscribers of their hard –earned money? Noo!! This cannot be allowed in our land. So MTN if you want to have a future in this country my humble appeal is ‘RENUMERATE OUR BROS WELL’.
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