WORKERS at Zambezi Portland Limited in Ndola yesterday downed tools and demanded a K3.5 million increment across the board.
The workers also demanded that the company’s management should not insult or allow alleged hired thugs to batter them whenever they were deemed to have done wrong. A check found most of the workers outside the plant and shouting that they would not return to work until management met their demands.
Those spoken to said the lowest paid worker at the company got K420, 000 as basic pay and that there was no medical cover for their families, while the company was not fulfilling the mandatory requirement of taking them for pneumoconiosis examination. However, management, led by managing director Antonio Ventriglia, said the company was paying the stipulated minimum wage and had no problems with adjusting it once the Government made the changes in law.
In a meeting attended by the workers’ representatives, principal labour officer Eunice Mifima and Copperbelt Patriotic Front (PF) chairperson Rebby Chanda, Mr Ventriglia said the workers were also given K2 million funeral grant and that there were medical facilities in the plant at their disposal.
He said management would immediately award the workers K500, 000 across the board as a temporary measure, as it waited to hear from the Government on the revised minimum wage.
And Ms Mifima asked the management to immediately arrange a meeting with the preferred union body and ensure that they allowed workers to be affiliated. The workers were asked to disperse and get back to work today after assurance that management would put the agreement in writing.
And operations at Zinc Aluminum Copper and Ore Company (ZALCO) and Full Value Goodness (FVG) milling company in Kabwe yesterday came to a standstill after casual workers downed tools demanding improved conditions of service, among others issues.
At ZALCO, more than 200 irate workers blocked the entrance to the plant with huge stones and threatened to damage any motor vehicle entering the premises, while chanting and vowing to continue until the demands were met. The workers also threatened violence against Times of Zambia and Radio Maranatha reporters who they accused of siding with management.
Lubasi Chimuka, a representative of the workers at ZALCO, said management should consider increasing salaries from the current K15, 000 per day as it was not sufficient to sustain their families. “Management has to look into revising our salaries because most of us are working from as early as 07: 00 hours up to as late as 20: 00 hours but our salaries show nothing for these efforts.
“Most of us have been temporary employees for over two years and we want to be recognised as permanent employees,” he said. At FVG Milling, the workers held a peaceful protest demanding better salaries and conditions of service.
But FVG General Manager Hastings Mwase refuted the workers’ allegations that the company’s conditions of service were poor because their policies were in line with the country’s labour laws.
Mr Mwase said FVG management was still waiting for the restructuring of the minimum wage and would comply with the changes once they were announced.
In Lusaka, more than 400 ZESCO casual workers staged a protest at ZESCO head office demanding for among other things, job security and improved salaries.
The workers, who locked the entrances to the ZESCO head office demanded for increased salaries and job security. Speaking on behalf of the protesters, Joseph Phiri said the casual workers who had in some cases worked for ZESCO for over 10years wanted permanent jobs.
“Can you imagine we work for K1, 400 per hour and at the end of the month it only goes to about K450, 000? We want this to change because this amount of money is too low for us to afford a basic life,” Mr Phiri said. Management could not be reached for comment by Press time.
In Choma, workers at Mochipapa Livestock Development Trust (LDT) have gone on strike demanding payment of 15 months’ salary arrears. The angry workers who stormed ZANIS offices in Choma yesterday vowed not to return to work until they were paid their outstanding salaries.
They complained that their families had been reduced to destitution as a result of failure by the institution to pay them their dues. The workers said management has also failed to explain why they had not been paid their salaries in the past 15 months.
The claimed that the Government had been releasing money to LDT but that management was diverting the money to other unknown expenditures, leaving workers without salaries for 15 months.
Meanwhile, hundreds of workers at Mpulungu Harbour yesterday staged a protest demanding improved conditions of service. The workers who were supposed to report for work at 06:00 hours camped at the Main Bus Station, about 500 metres from the harbour.
[Times of Zambia]
Wapya munzi.
dont kubeba
“Do not be deceived. Bad company corrupts good morals.”
– 1 Corinthians 15:33
People tend to think like those around them. Guard yourself so that you are not affected by the poverty mindsets of others. Those you choose to associate with, will determine your fate. You are what is around you.
It is no accident that the first instructions contained in the book of proverbs tell about the enticements of sinners. Do you have friends or do you have fiends? Who do you choose to associate with? Where do you shop? The places you spend time in, the people you call friends, and the kind of life you surround yourself with will reinforce the attitude you will have in your life. Be careful not to feed the psychology of poverty.
While the wages are too low for most of Zambian workers, the strikes have been ignited by the government’s public pronouncements.
I know that we all learn as we face situations as we carry out our duties.
In this regard, I am confident that PF govt and the president in particular, Mr SATA will slowly begin to learn that over-exciting the public can easily create a national disaster.
It will be more prudent to do most of the work in the background than to make loud pronouncements which will keep exciting the public as if we are in a compaign gear.
To work does not mean blowing a trumpet but rather let people see results.
Why make prouncements at state house which will create unnecessary industrial unrest?
Compare what Shamenda said to what the president keeps singing – different.
where is this country going God help us
zambezi portland has already awarded k500 000 across the board.Zambia was taken for a ride for a long time.its time we felt we are zambians.
IT SEEMS ALL EMPLOYERS WHERE ONLY PAYING THEIR CASUALS A MINIMUM WAGE OF 450,000 IRRESPECTIVE OF THE NATURE OF WORK. ZESCO CASUALS DO A LOT OF WORK. DIGGING TRENCHES AND LIFTING HEAVY WIRES REQUIRES A HEALTH WORKER WHO IS ABLE TO EAT A BALANCED MEAL AFTER WORK , FOR GODS SAKE HOW DO YOU PAY THEM SUCH A SALARY.
ITS YOUR TIME FELLOW ZAMBIANS, FIGHT FOR WHAT IS YOURS. I AM GLAD YOU ARE NOT ASKING PF TO PUT MORE MONEY IN YOUR POCKET BUT YOU ARE ALSO HELPING THE PARTY TO FULFILL ITS PROMISES. REMEMBER THE 90 DAYS DEADLINE, IT LOOKS WE ARE MOVING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION.KEEP IT UP.
AND YOU EMPLOYERS HOW DO YOU SAY YOU ARE WAITING FOR THE GVT TO RESTRUCTURE THE MINIMUM WAGE. IT DOES NOT MAKE SENSE. IF THE WORKERS DESERVES A HIGHER PAY, PLEASE PAY THEM.
i am wondering were this country is going.its like workers are arising against their employer in the name of wages/salary increment everyday since 23rd September 2011.i wont be surprised if one day i wake up from my nice bed and then hear that the entire civil service has gone on strike to push the government to better their salaries.Asking for God intervention in this.help
Bob Marley got it right when he sang…..
Preacher man don’t tell me
Heaven is under the earth
I know you don’t know
What life is really worth
It’s not all that glitters is gold
Half the story has never been told
So now you see the light
Stand up for your rights
And he goes on to say…….
We’re sick and tired of your ism-schism game
To die and go to heaven in Jesus’ name
We know and understand
Almighty God is a living man
You can fool some people sometimes
But you can’t fool all the people all the time
And now we’ve seen the light (What you gonna do)
We gonna stand up for our rights
People are tired of lack in the midst of plenty!
where was govt to have let the situation for the workers deteriorate to such levels?
Instead of attending to domestic issues, rupiah was busy flying around the world like a headless chicken.
It’s a shame that little or no attention was paid to address the workers plight across the country.
Well, this is how rupiah and his mmd defined economic growth
YES MY DEAR where was GOVT? IF WE MAY ASK.
THIS country had no leader to speak on our behalf.
APART FROM THE FEW BRAVE ONES DEMANDING SALARY INCREMENTS HOW ABOUT FUEL PLEASE?
IS THERE ANYONE BRAVE ENOUGH TO PROTEST THE PRICES OF FUEL??
Rupiah Banda was a retired villager based in chipata with debts owed to workers and a mortage on his house in Kabulonga…drinking and eating michopo was his pasttime and being a naughty oldman he occasionally got in to bed with a rural primary school teacher..they led a simple life..LPM changed all that..he became THE BIGMAN…he surrounded himself with children like DJ, JJ, RC,FC and toured the world recieving ‘gifts’ and getting fat..the village seemed so far away, suddenly he had the challenger at his beck and call, a new S-Class and new clothes..he became Foolish!
IN THE LAST DAYS, EMPLOYEES WILL FIGHT EMPLOYERS AND PRESIDENTS AGAIST THEIR FORMER PRESIDENTS, ITS HAPPENING IN ZED
Its true these infesters have taken us for a ride too long to contemplate. Why increase more than 100% by K500,000 when someone was getting K420,000. Seems like they know that they were abusing our labour by paying peanants, now they should pay the market price of our labour. Imagine the presido has said nothing and yet they are increasing on their own, this is true leadership not mayopic cacophone that we were fed in the name of leadership. VIVA SATA.
could not have said it better mate, imagine RB allowed them to misuse Zambians in that manner.
Sounds okey as long as these companies will sustain the wage increases.
They can. Zambia is cheap labour heaven. Average $1000/annum per employee….!!!!
#15, they can. they are working with an average of $1000/annum per employee. Cheap, cheap, cheap!
People finally have hope. They feel for once, their grievences will be heard and will be addressed. This is a clear sign that they did not have any faith in RB or his labour administration. And it always shocks me how white people come to Zambia and do the same work as Zambians yet get salaries which are way higher that the locals that are doing the same job or even more. I think this is a discriminatory issue that needs to be addressed urgently. There should be equal pay for equal work. If whites get dollars, so should Zambians. And these investors should not bring fake experts when we have qualified human resources already in the country. For once, people have hope and faith that their is a better tomorrow. People have faith that we can also have decent work and make a decent living
I am happy that Zambians can now feel that this is their land.This protests tells you that zambians where not well cared for by the previous regime.The PF victory is not only for politicians but also for zambians.Zambians must be respected and dignity must be restored back to zambians.Stand up for what is right and don’t allow foreigners to intimidate you.
Minimum wage should be k2.5million & should be tax free!!!
We are celebrating now. But just wait until you want to build a house or get connected to Zesco or buy some aluminium angle. The cost of these wage increases will simply be passed onto the consumer. The company will up its prices and we will enter the age of rampant inflation.
Oh well, let’s sit back and wait.
This is what we warned about with the kind of talk PF were carelessly shouting about more money in your pockets in 90 days. While I appreciate workers have to get fair remunerations, it’s destructive to do things haphazardly with no regard to economic instruments and performance. We’ll definately have more money in the pockets in 90 days but look where the economy will end up having scared investment, killed the Kwacha and sky rocketed inflation. Wait and see.
Ok guys, it seems clear that the “infestors” really knew that they were taking us for a ride. This is evident with their willingness to increase salaries and to comply with the anticipated minimum wage stipulations. For your own information, I have been in the diaspora for over 12 years now, working in Australia. Australia is one of the best paying countries in the world. The roots of the good paying policies are stemed in a government regime that at one time made sweeping labour policies. From this explanation, I have every confidence that the PF are on the right track and the country is headed for better times as far as wages and salaries are concerned.
K3.5m across the board? hahahaha…………is this a joke? These promises will cost somebody an election.
Ask yourself if you can live on that wage as a part-time employee with a family before you post your negative drivel!!
#20 bulilding materials-cement and power connections are still high even with these lower wages to workers. These companies have just been enjoying super profits at the expense of the miserable and meagre wages to workers.
MMD minimum wage of K400 was meant to please foreign investors like Chinese and Lebanese since these guys (investors )used to corruptly pay MMD officials at sate house to allow them exploit Zambians using the blessings of corrupt MMD’s stupid labour policies.
We should expect more industrial unrest this year and next year.Its hell on earth for workers to get little money after working so hard for it,but its worse off when the political leadership is making careless statements in public.Inciting the masses and making unreasonable promises.Very soon Zambians will raise up against the government.And it will be Ammaggedon.HELL…TURNED…LOOSE.
zambia needs direction and we thank the president for the work he is doing,now what about people like George nguni who openly was campaigning for the mmd and did massive damage to zesco.