Government has challenged labour commissioners and employment agencies in the country to explain government policies on labour matters.
Deputy Minister of Labour and social security Rayford Mbulu said government was disturbed by matters of job losses and industrial unrests in the country.
Mr. Mbulu said labour commissioners and employment agencies should therefore sensitize their workers on terms and conditions of service at work places.
He was speaking in Lusaka today when he officiated and launched the Labour Consultants and Employment Agencies Association of Zambia (LEAAZ).
He has since commended the new association for coming on board to look at labour matters.
Mr. Mbulu observed that child trafficking, child labour, forced labour and underpayment of workers were among bad vices that were being perpetuated by some employers hence the need for labour commissioners and employment agencies to be proactive on these issues.
He further pointed out that government does not want to see a repeat of what happened at Konkola Copper Mines (KCM) where 76 employees were laid off in unclear circumstances.
The official launch was attended by Civil Servants and Allied Workers Union of Zambia president Leonard Hikaumba, LEAAZ president Humphrey Monde and his vice president Tedson Msoni, LEAAZ secretary general Agrippa Tembo, International Labour Organisation (ILO) representatives and senior government officials
ZANIS
Welcome to reality.
Hikabumba is ZCTU president and a trustee in the Civil Servants and Allied Workers Union of Zambia.
What are the government policies on labour matters?
I will repeat what other bloggers pointed out last week regarding the poor conditions of service for the Miners, especially the way the retirement package is currently calculated at 2 months per completed year of service which is absolutely a mockery. I understand this has been so since colonial times and it’ s the same trend 50 years after independence. Then what are the people in goverment doing about it, what measures have been taken to make an improvement to this ? Yet there are foreigners who just come and after working for a very short space of time, they reap millions of Kwachas, if not dollars and go. I am appealing to the government of President Michael Chilufya Sata to quickly look into this and alliviate the situation so our Miners can also get reasonable packages.
Since you are appealing to president Sata, do think he is going to read what you have posted here?
Find a much higher platform where you are going to be heard.
The labor movement is dead in Zed. No body seems to know what to do , what is right and what to expect. Foreigners in the name of investors come in without being oriented on labors laws of the nation. what is the ministry of labor’s responsibility? Now all the laborers on the mines of FQM are foreigners, what is there for Zambians? This is all lack of political will. Get a leaf from the labor movement of Botswana
Leonard Hikaumba is now president of the Civil Servants and Allied Workers Union of Zambia and not the Zambia Congress of Trade Unions?
“Mr. Mbulu said labour commissioners and employment agencies should therefore sensitize their workers on terms and conditions of service at work places.” Do Ministers think about what they are saying when delivering such speeches, or they just read what somebody has written for them? He was addressing recruitment agencies, basically, who only place people with companies, and have no chance or motivation of sensitising anyone on the conditions of employmeny; and they only have their few workers whom they can sensitise, if at all. He can’t also call upon Labour Commissioners to “talk to their employees” – how many are their employees, if any? Foolish Minister!
Hikaumba, naine napapa!
Ba HH, sorry ba Hikaumba has gained weight after eating money from Constitution making process during the time of RB.
“Labour Commissioners?” How many do we have in this country? I guess you mean Labour Consultants.