Hello Editor,
MTN Zambia is disobeying Government Directive.Labour Minister Mr Shamenda we ask for you to intervene in the matters below. Despite your interaction with MTN management, MTN Zambia has disobeyed your directive to outsource employees with the same conditions. As it stands ISON BPO are still standing by the pathetic offers given to employees.
To enlighten you more on a few issues currently going on at MTN Zambia with relation to the outsourcing of permanent employees. As I type this currently no employee affected has received redundancy benefits or any benefits entitled at all.
Part of the Notice of Separation Letter given to the employees states:
“You are accordingly advised that you are entitled to redundancy benefits as specified in the Separation Agreement to be availed to you immediately prior to your final separation.” The final separation being dated the 30th of September 2015.
To further quote what the labour laws state to when redundancy packages should be remitted is below.
“THE EMPLOYMENT ACT (CHAPTER 268 OF THE LAWS OF ZAMBIA)
PART IV ORAL CONTRACTS OF SERVICE
26B. Termination by redundancy
(3) An employee whose contract of service has been terminated by reason of redundancy shall-
(a) be entitled to such redundancy payment as agreed by the parties or as determined by the Minister, whichever is the greater; and
(b) be paid the redundancy benefits not later than the last day of duty of the employee:
Provided that where an employer is unable to pay the redundancy benefits on the last day of duty of the employee, the employer shall continue to pay the employee full wages until the redundancy benefits are paid.
(4) The provisions of this section shall not apply to-
(a) an employer who ceases to carry on business by reason of bankruptcy or compulsory liquidation;
(b) a casual employee;
(c) an employee engaged for a fixed term and the redundancy coincides with the expiration of that term;
(d) an employee on probation; or
(e) an employee who has been offered alternative employment and who has unreasonably refused the offer.”
However the case today, shows clearly these laws have been breached. I am not a lawyer yet but I surely know how to read. We appeal to the Labour office to intervene and ensure MTN is operating within the labour laws. Am not trying to paint a bad picture on anyone but these are some of the things foreign investors do and easily get away with. Not long ago,this very company had a scandal over the listing of shares through ikulileni Investments on the stock exchange. To shade more light on more issues, MTN Zambia has not being remitting NAPSA of which deductions are made from employees on their pay slips showing that they are remitting.
We appeal and ask once small for government’s intervention.
MTN Zambia employee
It’s quite sad to read about such. To add to this, it’s not only MTN that outsources most of their managerial and engineering permanent positions. Zambia Breweries, Airtel, Zambia Sugar etc, employ expatriates. These same companies have had a history of reports linking them to tax evasion
Global village.Very soon, work permits will be a thing of the past.That’s the New World Order.So the sooner you get used to it, the better.
Shamenda help aba bantu mudala
You think this dirty scruffy clown will do anything? He will make noise and that is all!
Be innovative and start selling tomatoes or some other business. The era of formal jobs is long gone and the earlier you realise this the better – get a life.
That is what you get for voting for PF. You should tell your relatives, neigbours to make sure you vote them out in 2016
Uselessness at it’s best. You think change of government will stop outsourcing? Once in a while trying using your brain before commenting. It’s not painful at all!!!
Firstly the disregard of labor provisions starts with the government and the parastatals themselves. MTN Zambia learnt from the best in the business. Secondly, if a performance agreement is not met satisfactorily, companies may resort to outsourcing. We are talking about your promise to discharge job description requirements as well as contractual obligations. Lastly, companies like MTN, FNB and a host of others have reasonably big representation of Zambians as shareholders and so the sentiment of being foreign and therefore implied unfairness becomes questionable. Enough said.
The call centre business has become very competitive world over. MTN Zambia is just following the new world order and have appointed an efficient and specialized company to run their call centre. MTN Nigeria, MTN South Africa, MTN Cameroon to mention but a few,have all subcontracted their call centre. So if MTN Zambia does not adapt to the new world order, they will die!! The writer of this letter has been given the redundancy package and also a new job by this company ISON BPO. If the writer does not want the new job, weeell and Gooood, she/he has the redundancy package to start Katemba. Stop complaining you are among the few lucky one to be given a redundancy package and a new Job??