the new international bus terminus in Livingstone
For many years now, Zambian workers have faced numerous challenges from casualization right through to the infringement of their basic rights, such as being denied the right to representation and belong to a union. Too many workers are in jobs that cannot be classified as decent jobs. The primary cause of this is a lack of commitment from the Government, especially the PF Government, which has shown time and time again that they are not interested in the welfare of the worker and that they are not focused on improving the situation for the majority.
This lack of care by Government for Zambian workers has manifested in several ways, the first is the wage freeze amidst rising costs of living; the second is the use of intimidation as the case was with the nurses that were fired in 2012, the third is the fact that without consultation they revised the retirement age to 65 years, what life is left in a human being who retires at 65? Lastly there is an employment freeze in the public sector that has consigned many capable young men and woman to perpetual unemployment. Moreover, the failure by the PF Government to effectively manage the economy has led to limited opportunities not only for employment, but also for employment into decent jobs. As long as the PF presides over a struggling economy in which currency instability, power blackout and Government waste are common the situation will worsen.
The UPND believes in Zambian workers. Zambians have always been hardworking, determined and ambitious with a high resolve to address the challenges that face them. Our workers operate in difficult environments and conditions to keep this country moving forward. However, greed, gluttony and poor policy choices by the current Government have left many of our dedicated civil servants demoralised. Many of our hard working workers in the public service now look outside their day jobs to make the extra money to pay for housing, education and ever rising costs of food. This is grossly unfair and they deserve better.
There is very little to celebrate on Labour Day when people are paid low salaries amidst rising costs of living. Even this year’s Labour Day theme: “Promoting National Economic Growth through Job Creation, Free Collective Bargaining and Respect for the Workers’ Rights” is really a mockery as the opposite is what is actually happening. What the Zambian workers need is a salary that considers the rising costs of living, a clearly laid out retirement plan for them to enjoy the fruits of their labour when they retire and good working conditions that enable them to advance in their careers without heavy bureaucracy. Our workers expect government to devise consistent policies that minimizes the need to tax its people to fund poorly contracted loans. Our workers deserve career advancing training opportunities that will teach them modern skills to increase productivity and generate a sense of personal fulfilment.
As UPND, Labour Day will be the day to appreciation our workforce, paying our workers what they truly deserve and rewarding them for their service to this nation. To do this, our approach is as follows:
1. Lifting of the wage freeze and enhancing salaries for all public service workers to match the cost of living and leave enough for savings.
2. Lifting the employment freeze to reduce dependency on the few that are employed. This will lessen the burden of those already employed and create opportunities for the youths.
3. Reduce the retirement age to 55 years and ensure that all retirees get their retirement package on the last day of working. This will also facilitate career enhancement for many.
4. We will reduce unnecessary expenditures that will reduce the need to tax workers at current exorbitant rates.
5. We will create a professional civil service that will have access to Government initiated career enhancing acquisition of skills to increase productivity.
6. For our colleagues in the private sector, we shall have a labour friendly tax regime that will ensure that companies pay a LIVING wage, not to be confused with a MIMUMUM wage.
7. We shall not borrow for consumption; the current borrowing is fuelling high PAYE taxes as the Government struggles to pay back what we are borrowing because of poor investment choices.
Our hard working Zambians surely deserve better, and they need to be respected and rewarded on each day of their service to the nation. This is what the UPND believes in.
Hakainde Hichilema
UPND President
But you said that we should boycott. You are confusing us now
@ dontcare
Please read again and you may see the light.
What is new in HH article?
Is it the high salaries the civil service was awarded by Pf in 2012.
Wage freeze
Retirement age which Pf has given wise thinking to it
Infrastructure development.
Borrowing for infrastructure development and not consumption as HH has put it.
I find it hard to see any sense in what HH oppose the govt for. Each time he talks about pf , he is always 2 years behind.
Why cant he for a change discuss issues that zambians have never heard before. To be in opposition bwana HH is not the same as being a SERIAL negative leader otherwise people who are more knowledgeable than you will cast a vote of no confidence in upend.
Yours Truely
SERIAL CONTENDER
SERIAL LOOSER
SERIAL HATER
HH
I always take time to read and hear what HH rights and says respectively. He is full of wisdom. I always learn few things from what he talks about.
Its clear that there is an extra sense in all he has promised the people of Zambia.
If this is the correct and collective position of UPND, then UPND is the people’s choice come 2016.
RB has taken over PF! What more can one explain the sudden 360 Degree U-turn of giving back Zamtel to Lapgreen? Tell me why they want to adopt Dora despite all her insults to PF and to SATA that he is Xenophobic and that middle finger in Parliament.
SHAME PF, SHAME KAMBWILI, SHAME MILE SAMPA, SHAME!!!!!!!!!!
VIVA UPND!
meant “writes” typo…cheers
NOT WORTH COMMENTING ON AS THERE IS LITERALLY NO SUBSTANCE IN THE ABOVE RANTINGS OF A BANKRUPT MIND.
It always amazes me when !mbeciles fail to understand plain English language and instead call others bankrupt minds
when i come into power i will grab all what pf members are stealing including land and what ever is build on that land but for the big fish in pf i wil lock them up for between 10 to15 years depending on the magnitude of their loot and ofcorse with hard labour but for now let them enjoy.,thanks
UPND economic competence, long term economic plan, lifting the employment and wage freezes etc. absolute drivel!!! Next they will be promising to feed 13000000 Zambians from 5 loaves of bread and 2 fish.
All these promises! Day after day. My vote goes to the party that promises a money tree in every backyard. Unless another party offers a booze tree on top!
Am sick and tired of these liars!
the 7 promises by UPND are tenable and do not require miracles. Zambians be serious for once and look at the potential of the country. PF is under performing. I give them 30% out of 100%.
How can a chap who fails to pay his own workers a living wage promise to do it when he comes into power and you believe him?
How can you side with a chap advocating for ageism by reducing the retirement age to 55 when statistics have shown that Zambians are living longer?
Are you UPND cadres fundermentalists like some religion we all know? Next you will be killing yourselves in support of the rubbish this buffoon promises
Don’t call hh a chap u wizard …if hh can own mines abroad n pay good wages such that whites are able to respect n honour him,, where z the evidence that hh z rewarding his workers poorly? Shut your stinking mouth ***** ..that’s y u will die in poverty coz of hate n tribalism.
every sensible person understands what my president HH is saying. there is nothing more that can be said apart from what he is saying in his message to the country.
HH will never rule Zambia, he is a triba.list with his Tongas, those cow dug smoking haters and lunatics, those bantu botatwe psychos, sick
Imwe fi N’gombe Ilede, yo hate will kill yu. How can yu talk like that about MCS, after what he did for this Country. That’s why yu will never rule coz with that kind of hatred how will you treat the other tribes especially Bemba. Thank God, He can see your bitter hatred, yo cruel hate and can never allow yu to come into power, coz yu are too full of hate. Yu need deliverance
Yah these ungrateful imbeciles fi bantu botatwe, will never appreciate anything that will done in this Country. HE ECL is doing his best yet all they can post are insults and in delusion that hh will perform miracles, shame
U5 you are confusing your followers,you told them to boycott futi waimwenamo ati message to workers…ala kwena ebu U5 zooona nga taukwete ifyakulanda jst go and adddress your fellow serial losers.
This same HH IS THE NUMBER ONE Calprit for casualisation this workers get peanuts sometimes even go without pay for months they work like donkeys just to be paid a tin of maize but the foolish poor tongas continue praising him
No matter what tribal and satan1st HH will say,we shall never vote for him till he dies!!!Look Dora Siliya has already joined the winning team PF!!!come 2016 it will be KOLOPA.COM reloaded!!!!