Thursday, March 28, 2024

Revised minimum wage is final, erring employers will be prosecuted-Shamenda

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Labour Minister Fackson Shamenda
Labour Minister Fackson Shamenda

Labour Minister Fackson Shamenda says the revised minimum wage is now a piece of legislation which must be complied with by all employers in the country.

Mr Shamenda has warned of prosecution against erring employers. He told ZNBC news in an interview in Lusaka on Saturday that the revised minimum wage is non reversible.

Mr Shamenda said that the minimum wage was arrived at after wide consultation. He has urged all employers to implement the new minimum wage to avoid getting in trouble.

Mr Shamenda was reacting to the Zambia Federation of Employers -ZEF- Executive Director Harrington Chibanda who said the revised minimum wage is beyond the reach of many employers.

Mr. Chibanda was speaking when he featured on a Tv2 programme ‘Seven Dayas Today’ on Saturday morning.

And VICE-President Guy Scott yesterday assured that there will be no job losses following the upward adjustment in the minimum wage.

Dr Scott was responding to MMD Mafinga Member of Parliament, Catherine Namugala in Parliament yesterday who raised concern over the increase in the minimum wage, saying this would trigger job losses in the informal sector.

Dr Scott said that Government had taken a positive step in improving the welfare of domestic workers and others in the informal sector and that the law would prevent any job-cuts.

“What we have done as Government is the right thing, if we hadn’t created the jobs, people would still be complaining and so we are doing the right thing and I want to assure you that there will be no job losses following the changes we have made to the minimum wage,” Dr Scott said.

Recently Government announced a 100 per cent pay rise for workers in the informal sector and urged all employers to abide by the earning adjustment to improve the living standards of the workers.

ZNBC

94 COMMENTS

  1. Pls understand pf has found itself in between a rock and a hard place after the 90 days comedy.They are losing support @ 1000km/h!The majority that voted for them are poor people.So they have to find ways to appease them.

    • The Govt.has done a good thing.Here n the UK minimum wage is what majority of Qualified personel get if not less.Well done PF, nothing wrong with that if employers are not willing to pay that much they should not hire any body, period.

  2. I would never accept a job less than £50 000 a year, and I know an doubt there is any Zambian that earns that even there as the wages as so low it is not worth talking about

    Saying that my expectations may have been aroused by my CIMA< ACCA MBA, Bsc from Oxford Brookes as well as my PHD I am doing, 

    Thanks

    • You are quite behind with recent activity. Almost all CEOs and departmental managers make that kind of money. What is K400,000,000? Besides, your qualifications are not impressive. Almost every 19 year old has ACCA or CIMA and those working have degrees to top it up. You claim to have a generic MBA, who cares, MBAs are quite valueless here nowadays. We have no evidence unless you post a link where we can view your certificates. You need to prove to us what you assert. Having a PhD is not fashionable, go to the US and see how regular you look. Here in Zambia, people are making $100,000 every month in business. Even your ambitions did not foresee that did they?

    • Ba Mushota;

      I guess you’ve come head on  in collision with someone who may just make you tone down a little with ukubwata bwata in your pride (BIG UP 4.1). It’s not what tools you have … it’s how you use your tools. A simple certificate holder can make more money that a too Proud PHd student!

    • This dull bitch is ranting again. An MBA holder who can’t even construct a proper sentence? You are quite the wasted sperm Mushota. 

  3. #4 Mushota, Stop fooling yourself. Educated people never parade their qualifications, wealth and their earnings, you are just displaying your ignorance in your world of fantasy. It’s only in Zambia that you have so many school drop-outs addressing themselves as ‘Dr’. Dream on!

  4. What an ***** this Shamenda, once employers start reducing the number of employees because not all companies can afford to meet the increment will Hon. Shamenda employee these people?
    Has Shamenda also increased the salaries of the civil servants by the same % , i think he is trying to save his job by meeting PF’s promise but on the long run he shall also become a street adult!!!!!!!

    • Mr. Minister do not be intimidated. So called employers can only reduce the work force at the expense of reduced productivity and efficiency, they also stand to lose. They are just bluffing. They have exploited labour for too long. Bravo PF! You are surely working.

    • Welldone PF Govt. Zambians have been exploited for along time.How do explain the kind of life they lead and expensive cars most employers drive compared to what they pay.You people what do you want! Not so long, you were challenging PF Govt.to acT but now you are complaing.In fact the Govt,should have increased salaries by 200%

  5. The VP says no job losses? Liar! I’ve fired six already and know of at least 50 that have been fired by others because of this PF decision. 

    • 100 job losses are very insignificant to the economy especially if it involves employees earning what I suspect you were paying your employees (K100,000). But then you speak with so much emotion, maybe you were one among the 56 dismissed?

    • You are a liar.Your action and plans to bring this Govt.down will not work PF welldone we need more money in our pockets

    • So do you currently employ unnecessary personnel that can just be fired without affecting your business? You have been wasting your money on charity all this time? Nadabwa

  6. 1-7 muleumfwa ulese, 500 pin nindala…thats why africa cant develope…THUMBS UP PF GOVERNMENT WE ARE SUPORTING YOU….POOR PEOPLE HAVE SUFFERED ALOT…

  7. Immediate job losses are inevitable. However, this serves as a cultural change to the employment system and serves sentimentally to remind employers to take into account employees’ needs. Furthermore, a minimum wage protects future employees. Do not worry, one way or another, people will need to hire. That said, I believe that employers need to be smart in the case of domestic servants and calculate the monetary value of fringe benefits. That way, the wage may be reduced to a reasonable extent. Let’s remember to be human, do not pay someone less than the minimum allowance you would give your child at boarding school, if you do, it shows that you do not care that your employee struggles for basics.

    • I see, so you currently employ unnecessary personnel that can just be fired without affecting your business? Nadabwa

    • You reply to The Dark Lord after hours because you know that in the dark is where the limits of your brain lie.

  8. Job well done PF on WAGES, in fact do more!! Next is overhauling&restructuring the EDUCATION SYSTEM, aligning Zambia to being a producer (as opposed to the current consumer state).An Education system that includes compulsory financial education, investment, credit& risk management and financial etiquette of growing an economic empire… Yes ,education is the key! Economics makes it POSSIBLE, politics makes it REAL” Kudos to PF on the wages :Economic equity is only attainable thru combination of moral conscious&legislation. Thru out history, capitalists,bourgeoisies, elites find pleasure in exploitation of the weak (workers) to maximize their profits. Even when huge profits are declared. The economic fundamentals for Zambia are good thus the Middle income classification.

  9. Sadly it is more money in fewer peoples pockets and those who will lose their jobs first will be the least educated and poorer folk. 

  10. It is difficulty for us wise ones to formulate an comment. Since this minimum wages came up, you never saw my comment. And when I read you people’s comments, I feel like you are chinese people commenting.
    Only the White-man Guy Scott responds anything related to me, Sata should employee 5 more whites in cabinet.

  11. Those are radical decisions that we want. Alfred Masupa and his federal organization are still living in ca coon of the MMD. He is ant the policies of PF.

  12. It will be interesting to see it being enforced, good luck with some of the Chinese and some others… They didn’t comply last time…

  13. Thumbs up PF although it looks like a time bomb now,still i believe its just a matter of time every employer will get used and adhere to it.Its quite nonsensical to pay someone less than $100(K500,000) for the hard work he/she puts in.In logical terms there is no country in Southern African that pays as little as the way we pay these people,everyone waffling here should take into account that if you or your mother can not manage/afford.Its better you do it yourself.Muletasha bangwele. 

    • Hike your barber fees. But only after increasing the value of your product. Buy shampoos to clean the hair and some nice gel. You will surely increase your customer base. All the best. 

    • Do the barbing yourself or close the shop or reduce the hours your guy works.  Also increase your charges.

  14. 4# Mushota

    .
    With all those qualifications, why are you short changing yourself? The market value for your qualifications is around £120,000 to £200,000 per annum which often includes Stocks / Options / Pension, Bonuses Life Insurance Travel Allowances depending on the sector you work for. They are lot women between the age group of 27-35 years who are demanding such market packages

    I am just curious! What Industry Sector do you work for?

    I know the cost of living up there is Scotland is far much cheaper than in the South East of UK, in terms of Accommodation and Weighting Allowances, but still you said your whole packed is about £60K not so long ago. That is way below on a person of such qualifications. Even in the UK Civil Service, still you should command a higher pay.

  15. The idea of minimum wage is good, but if the implementation is daft it is counter-productive because employers will retrench workers to meet the wage bill they can afford. Already that is what is happening. Guy Scott is living in cuckooland where only fantasy reigns, and Fackson Shamenda is…ah..well, his first name tells the whole story about him, doesn’t it! Surprise, surprise, both of these PF empty calabashes don’t shave regularly and are fond of keeping an untidy stubble. If they shaved, they would probably start thinking clearly. Implement the mimimum wage as an economic strategy, not as a political measure. As a political measure it is plain stupid.

  16. @ 19 – Sorry I meant …

    1. Stocks / Options / Pension, Bonuses, Life Insurance and Travel Allowances.

    2. The cost of living up there in Scotland…… “

    • @INDEPENDENT OBSERVER
      You are a little behind the times. There are homes in Glasgow and Edinburgh that are just as expensive as those in London, and there are homes in Aberdeen (in the far north of Scotland) that are two to three times the Scottish average home price.

      Also, the Civil Service in the UK is very poorly paid. Salaries have been effectively frozen or awarded below the cost of inflation increases for almost 7 years. A PhD may get you around £50,000, certainly nowhere near £120,000 to £200,000 per annum!

  17. Government should put its foot down and never bend backwards for anyone on this one, these are just toothing problems even in UK when minmum wage was introduced there was similar outcry from selfish people who want to use other human beings for nothing. If a shop owner can’t pay the minimum wage they should either close down or do everything themselves and if you can’t pay your maid the minimum surely you don’t need one go and ask your mother to come babysit your kids for nothing.

  18. The PF Govt will soon reap wrotten tomatoes for its hopeless economic plans to please its cadres. Thousands of workers will be laid off to join long ques of the loafers..

  19. What nosense are you talking about you bangwele? An Investor failling failling to pay a maid $100 (K500 000)???? Really you are evil people who like seing the poor sufering. The poor in Zambia get $50 ( 250 000) per month. What is that you devils? You are witches, useless people who have no mercy on your fellow Zambians. Ba chopete imwe.

    • It smells like you are bitter and you enjoy the suffering of others.Its high time you and your mother started cleaning dirty in the closet on your own if you can not afford.

  20. Colin 21.1 #

    In which PHD field are referring that will get you £50,000 per year. Mushota says has MBA, ACCA & CIMA now doing for PHD. Based on that she can easily command £120,000 per year plus Financial Benefits and Bonuses

    I advise you to market yourself or try Recruitment companies or Head-hunters such as .
    (1) eFinancials, (2) Cititec, (3) Huxley Associates (4) Bearing Partnership and many more . They will lead you to companies that can pay at least £100,000 if you have MBA with a minimum of 3 years industrial experience plus financial benefits

    Cont..

  21. Colin 21.1 #

    In which PHD field are you referring that will get you £50,000 per year. Mushota says has MBA, ACCA & CIMA now doing for PHD. Based on that she can easily command £120,000 per year plus Financial Benefits and Bonuses

    I advise you to market yourself or try Recruitment companies or Head-hunters such as .
    (1) eFinancials, (2) Cititec, (3) Huxley Associates (4) Bearing Partnership and many more . They will lead you to companies that can pay at least £100,000 if you have MBA with a minimum of 3 years industrial experience plus financial benefits

    Cont..

    • Do not be fooled, unless she provides a link with her qualifications, we all can claim such accolades. In other words, we all have the qualifications she claims unless she can evidence otherwise!

  22. Colin 21.1 #

    In which PHD field are you referring to that will just get you £50,000 per year.

    Mushota says has MBA, ACCA & CIMA now doing for PHD. Based on that she can easily command £120,000 per year plus Financial Benefits and Bonuses

    Cont..

  23. @twaliwina and Kabombe…..you guys are very dull. You want to pretend that u are comfortable with the increament move….. indeed its a good move but have you considered the majority of the workforce in the country that are civil servants whose salaries where no where near 50% later 100%. Where will we get the extra 85% to share with domestic workers if our salaries where nly iincreased by a ka 15%? Especially you chi Nameless, niwebo ngwele umukulu, chimutwe sha!:o

    • That’s why you are Jupiter something similar with a planet with no life.Do not just argue with no justification,you should be realistic and i feel you are a lazy civil servant who just want to get things on a golden plate.I will say it once again if you can not afford to pay them simply DIY,slavery is long gone in the world.Who can survive with $50????????????????????

  24. @twaliwina and Kabombe…..you guys are very dull. You want to pretend that u are comfortable with the increament move….. indeed its a good move but have you considered the majority of the workforce in the country that are civil servants whose salaries where no where near 50% later 100%. Where will we get the extra 85% to share with domestic workers if our salaries where nly iincreased by a ka 15%? Especially you chi Nameless, niwebo ngwele umukulu, chimutwe sha!:o

  25. # Colin 21.1
    In which PHD field are you referring to that will just get you £50,000 per year.
    Mushota says has MBA, ACCA & CIMA now doing for PHD. Based on that she can easily command £120,000 per year plus Financial Benefits and Bonuses

    Cont..

  26. I aleady pay my House boy a minimum wage. on the other side thats the money we drink in a day and one wants to pay someone who cleans after you that little. mulunfwako uluse bane.

  27. on the other side thats the money we drink in a day and one wants to pay someone who cleans after you that little. mulunfwako uluse bane.

  28. Government should put its foot down and never bend backwards for anyone on this one, these are just toothing problems even in UK when minmum wage was introduced there was similar outcry from selfish people who want to use other human beings for nothing. If a shop owner can’t pay the minimum wage they should either close down or do everything themselves and if you can’t pay your maid the minimum surely you don’t need one go and ask your mother to come babysit your kids for nothing.

  29. how much are psv drivers supposed to get …. Pantu twachula a vehicle makes 50 m plus and driver paid 1.2m ?????? Pf my vote is in your hands !

    • 50 m is not profit.  How much does it cost to buy a truck?  How much does it cost to maintain and run a truck?  What about the tyres and diesel that you are always stealing?  Now you see why you are only paid 1.2m????

  30. You cant make a cake out of S H I T but you can very easily, simply and fundamentaly make S H I T from a cake. This govt is trying to conjure good things out of nothing, it wont work! its impossible . It shall just be another useless law that shall be forgotten, like street vendors, illegal dwellings, corrupt police , etc etc.

  31. @ msana Wanzili, yes I agree , now lets etrapolate all consequences of your thinking, this will mean hunreds of thousands of people wont even get the below minimum wage as they will be laid off. Of course according to you its much better to be unemployed and get ZERO , rather than something below minimum wage. Oh yeah… let me see…. if it comes to that some m o r o n o n like yourself will just pass another law ORDERING employers to employ people, and thats gonna work out great right?! You I D I O T !

  32. @ MSANA WANZILI, you know this sort of reminds me of IDi Amin, if there is no money simply print it right? And it will solve all problems right? How old are you?

  33. MANY ZAMBIANS ARE OUT OF TOUCH WITH REALITY ESPECIALLY POLITICIANS AND ZFE THIS WAGE INCREASE IS VERY SMALL UNLESS YOU RUN A KANTEMBA BUSINESS.WOULD IT MAKE SENSE FOR EVERYONE WORKING TO EMPLOY A MAID & GARDENER AND PAY THEM K100,000.00 / MONTH IN THE NAME OF CREATING EMPLOYMENT. ZFE YOU ARE JOKERS KEEPING PEOPLE IN POVERTY SHAME ON USE SELFISH PEOPLE.

  34. #39/40 Its so hard.
    No need for all that aggression, next time just put your points across without looking for a fight from civilised decent human beings unnecessarily, enough said.
    As I said if you can’t afford to pay your maid a minimum wage you probably don’t need one. If you really need a pair of hands to help but you can only afford half the minimum for example then they can only work for you pro-rata ( half months or half shifts or 4hrs/day).

  35. In fact the Minister did not break it down to hourly rate for nothing, its for a reason.
    If you have employed someone at your Katemba and can only afford to pay them k150,000/month please for goodness sake close it down if you don’t have spare time to stand there yourself or open it only when you have time and leave it to bigger shops who can

  36. PF govt is slowly loosing support. hw do u expect civil servant earning 1.5 million kwacha to pay a maid 522 thousand kwacha. cheap politics ba Public Fools (PF)

    • If the civil servant voted for PF then they are getting what they voted for.  Else the civil servant should start doing her own work.  Try getting relatives (those orphans on the street) to help at home for a free meal and accommodation.

  37. As for me, I have bought a washing machine and gotten rid of my maid. I wake up early to do my house cleaning, everything is fine. I now realise my maid was just finishing my food and ot top of her stealing, I had to pay her. Thanks Shamenda for making us realise we can do without maids!!

  38. A lesson to all Zambians:

    Make sure that we have serious time for the clauses in the draft constitution prior to it’s enactment. Otherwise, it will be another case like this one; where we were busy crying for it … only to U-turn after it turns into law! The Move is alright. We wanted it. It was a campaign voice of almost all politicians, be it HH, Chipimo, Sata, RB…even the late Chiluba!

  39. #43
    they should employ them only for hours they can afford to pay for, thats not rockets science pleeese, helloo!!!

  40. I also agree i had 6 in my business and now i have 3 to do the same work and also increased my prices thankyou for opening our eyes mr shamenda

  41. Invest in your IT Systems and Automate most processes, to be less dependent on human capital. I seriously think most Zambian Companies, including Government sectors are over employed with nothing to Offer. Everything they do is so bureaucratic. Extremely pathetic to deal with most institutions. Ethics and professionalism is way behind back home. Unfortunately even professionals that have lived in Diasporas, when they return Home, just behave the same. It is serious Cancer that has to be whipped out. ZMK1, 000,000 is nothing pay the people.

  42. PF practices populist politics, always trying to please the low class in society because they vote without brains. Lets see how happy they’ll be when they lose jobs due to employers down sizing due to increased wage bill.

  43. Only a fool can lay off a maid whom he already pays minimum wage $100(500 000) , This is the money I use in one day. Ifact this increament is small but for the start its ok. what is $100 per month? If you cant pay dont employ, they dont force…do the washing , sweeping and watering yourself….you are not forced to employ guys. Thanks PF for showing good will to the underprivileged people.

  44. All what this means is that people must stop employing others just to pay them next to nothing. On the other hand it also implies more maids and others will lose their jobs; for under performing tutemba’s just close them. Under PF govt forget also to start running a business on the basis of employing cheap labour. China as big as the economy is, it still does thrive on cheap labour. TIme is the best judge, let us give them chance on this one and we shall all see what outcomes will be there at the end of the road, 2016.

  45. PIPO, I THINK THIS IS A GOOD JOB DONE, LETS NOT ONLY FOCUS ON JOB CREATION OR SECURITY AND COMPROMISE JOB QUALITY. THERE MUST BE VALUE!

    • they also need a greater change from employees also their atitude towards the job thefts late coming absenteesm and the list goes on employees you need to change your mindset

  46. Ok Msana wanzili sorry for the agression, so its simply going to be called ” peace work” instead of “employment” , it wont change anything. If someone wants to do a ka ma 4 hours instead of full day ati pro rata peace work etc then ill pay them a ka ma 40 pin per month intead of 150.

  47. A good govt is supposedd to grip and tackle things it can realistically change and not have its head in things they cannot. They can very easily revamp the education sector, health , ect but no here they go with all this minimum wage and creating national service bootcamps. Since they started on such a pathetic note i have some suggestions for them to continue in same spirit: Make law to make it illegal to stay in substandard housing ( Housing problem solved!), illegal to eat less than 3 meals a day (malnutrition and hunger solved!) etc

  48. Here is a taste of reality my friend: all this is a nonstarter, a stupid backward nation with poor people ( who are actually lazy in most cases and full of hatred and ignorance) dreams of having it good by making s t u p i d laws bringing about division and inciting hatred. Wasnt this what communists did? ” if you dont work physically with your hands your a scoundrel and thief” will all the antecedent consequences (eg firing squad). Just give those poor people some scapegoat to hate and all problems are solved.

  49. (continued) usually it starts with hatred of foreigners or anyone who is different from the herd in any way e.g indians and all in zed, thats what i smell here. There is NO WAY IN HELL youll improve life of this generation, only way is to focus on next generation by massive quality education. I mean honestly its denying responsibility, if these thousands of adult people are unemployed govt should give them WELFARE payments like in developed world. Are they going to do that? Should we even go into that discussion?

  50. Africanos or whatever you call yourself,I now understand why people say you are a FOOL,why blame shamenda as if he makes all decisions alone? The decision to revise the minimum wage was done by PF as a party and Shamenda is just acting as a conveyor belt for the decision that was arrived at unanimously “by all PF brain tanks” . Next time you want to make a comment,please do a bit of research on the subject instead of subjecting us to this nonsense.Don’t comment for the sake of commenting No.Talk sense.

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