Rayford Mbulu
LABOUR Deputy Minister Rayford Mbulu has described the working atmosphere of employees at Choma Milling Company as ‘unconducive’ and has given management a one-week ultimatum to improve the safety standards.
Mr Mbulu yesterday took to task management for failure to improve safety standards of workers despite the company being in operation for about 34 years in Zambia.
The minister was speaking during an impromptu visit to the company where he found scores of workers in the milling plan with no safety kits such as gloves, helmets and boots.
“As management, do unto others as you would like them to do for you. These are your workers and you don’t need to be pushed around to improve their welfare.
“I am not happy to find them in this attire, I will come here on April 9th 2014 and I should find that you have provided them with safety facilities,” he said.
The company has about 140 permanent workers with many others on casual basis, who were found operating on machines without proper safety attire.
Mr Mbulu directed management to create a conducive work environment for their workers saying Government would not tolerate companies flouting labour laws.
He was not impressed to find one of the employees in management holding two positions of being a clinical officer and human resource officer at the same time.
The minister told management to break up the positions saying it was from such unwarranted combinations of positions that workers were not well looked after.
He said the milling company which had been in existence for many years, should lead by example and comply with labour laws of Zambia.
He told union members of the commercial and industrial workers an affiliation of Zambia Congress of Trade Union in Choma to closely work with management to improve the work atmosphere.
On compliance of recently introduced minimum wage by Government, he said, the law was being adhered to by companies, although, labour inspectors needed to intensify inspections.
Mr Mbulu further directed labour officers in Choma to be conducting about 29 visits of various companies in a month to ensure compliance on labour laws.
Company general manager James Kapikanya assured Government that management would comply with all directives to equip workers with required safety facilities
I am glad that Choma Milling continues in operations , and hope that the working relations and environment shall meet the standard. Choma Milling was my very first industrial development project, when I was I transferred from being Deputy General Choma milling Company. This is my special and positive association with Choma milling.