Friday, March 29, 2024

Ending casualization not easy-Rupiah Banda

Share

Former president Rupiah Banda at Edgar Lungu's innauguration
Former president Rupiah Banda at Edgar Lungu’s innauguration

Former President Rupiah Banda says it is difficult to end casualization due to the dynamics involved in labour.

Mr. Banda told journalists in Lusaka that sometimes labour is just required on special circumstances like building a house or farming.

And Chief Government Spokesperson Chishimba Kambwili has disclosed that Cabinet has approved new labour laws that will outlaw the dismissal of labour leaders who are fired for standing up for workers rights.

Mr Kambwili, who is also Information Minister, says government has observed that investors have been dismissing vocal labour leaders on flimsy charges.

Speaking when he graced Labour Day celebrations in Mufulira, Mr Kambwili said the new labour laws will see the Labour Commissioner overseeing all disciplinary cases to protect labour leaders.

He also disclosed that the new laws which will be tabled in parliament next month will also outlaw foreign investors from dismissing workers without notifying the Ministry of Labour.

This week Government said that it is geared to ending casualisation of labour in the country by June 2015.

Labour and Social Security Services Minister Fackson Shamenda said government was revising labour laws in order to curb casualization.

He said government will soon enact legislation to prohibit casualisation in a bid to protect workers from being abused by some investors.

Mr. Shamenda further said government wants to create permanent jobs in the country and it will soon outlaw casualization in a bid to protect workers.

Mr. Shamenda said that the current situation where employers are allowed to go scot free over casualisation of labour will not happen anymore after June 2015.

The Minister said his ministry is considering criminalizing casualization of workers due to continued flouting of labour laws by some employers in Zambia.

He disclosed that parliament would in June this year enact a new labour law to ban casualization stating that safety regulations would be heightened.

The Labour Minister said once the new piece of legislation in introduced, it would give workers rights to speak against injustices at places of work without fear of being victimized by employers.

6 COMMENTS

  1. What a dream. Kambili and Shamenda please don’t deceive people. How’s that practical? How are these companies going to keep workers when there is no production? Try that with you business and see how long you last.

  2. Don’t just criticise.bushe mwe bena zambia ba fi**la mwaba shani if it is not practical then we don’t need oposition coz they wil not offer any solution

  3. the minister is going to have more people umemployed , he never thought of that ! casualisation is just win-win deal between the two party , no one is forcing other party to work . think ,if the offer is too little , who is going to work for free!

  4. Casualisation is bad and no dignity for the workers, some of the casual workers have families on their shoulders they look after.
    Mr. Ministers sir, also wages and dates of payments, especially companies owned by Bantu too much problems they don’t know month end.

  5. Twapenga,

    Casualization is better than unemployment. Half a loaf is better than none. If you are starving and unemployed and you are offered a casual job, would you reject it and demand full-time employment? Kambwili and Shamenda are being unreasonably unrealistic on this score.

Comments are closed.

Read more

Local News

Discover more from Lusaka Times-Zambia's Leading Online News Site - LusakaTimes.com

Subscribe now to keep reading and get access to the full archive.

Continue reading