Labour Minister Joyce Nonde has expressed concern on the salary gaps between management staff and the general workforce in most privately owned companies.
Speaking during a meeting with Konkola Copper Mines (KCM) management and mine union officials in Chililabombwe, Ms Nonde said there was need to share equitably between investors and the workforce.
“New mines must have a living wage for the workers. Workers want a fair return of their sweat. We need to start discussing these issues because our people need to survive and take their children to school as well as build houses,” she said.
Ms Nonde intimated that miners were key to the nation’s economic development hence the need for industrial harmony unlike unnecessary friction between the management and the employees.
KCM employees at number one and three shafts in Chililabombwe have since Tuesday morning staged a work boycott due to various demands key among them salary increments.
Ms Nonde urged the KCM management to enhance their communication strategies with the unions and the workers to avoid misunderstandings which result into industrial unrest which negatively affects production.
She wondered why worker education has not been given priority despite its importance in a work environment as well as its potential to weaken the union hence misunderstandings which leads to friction.
“Member education is important. I urge management to partner with the union to educate the workers. We will be forced to make it law as ignorance is the worst disease that can happen to a human being,” she said.
Ms Nonde also urged the unionists to employ empowerment based collective agreements during their negotiations such as the provision of loans to build houses unlike mere salary increments.
And KCM Chief Operations Officer Mark Munroe expressed disappointment at the prevailing situation as salary negotiations were still in progress despite the difficulties the company was undergoing.
Mr Munroe pledged to step up communication and education with the workers and the unions as it was the company’s philosophy of having a happy worker as a key aspect of productivity and good business decision making. Ends/vm/zanis/chililabombwe
With my MBA Finance & a Professional Qualification, you want me to get same salary with people who ran away from school and are now dancing Dununa?
Dear not so well informed minister, what is the income gap between you and a teacher or nurse? Most likely you are not aware, are you. Just go sort out the issue at the Horse Shoe.
@Zed@cross: You hit the nail on the head. She is not addressing the issue at hand but wants to appease the miners. Typical of union mentality. What’s her salary vis a vis that of a civil servant?
SOME OF THE PROBLEMS EMANATE FROM THE CALIBRE OF UNION OFFICIALS. AT ONE CHINESE MINING COMPANY, THE UNION LEADERS ARE ILLITERATE AND TOLERATE UNTRAINED WORKERS TO “RISE THROUGH THE RANKS” AND SO WAGES ARE LOW AND OF COURSE THERE ARE NO TRAINING PROGRAMMES.
GOVERNMENT SHOULD INTERVENE TO ENSURE SKILLED WORKERS ARE EMPLOYED
what about the skills / Education gap between the two groups
For a country that has a majority of youth our general education plan and budget is weak to start with. We grind our own future potential in to the ground and replace it with ‘leaders’ whose actions show it’s not about education…it’s who you know and how much greed can you get away with. Then we spit on those with qualifications that count in order to employ our clueless family and buddies. When will we learn that Zambia is ours to build?
KEEP QUITE
Management comprises of several categories my friend. You seem as if you are people buying papers from these so called………..? There are managers in middle management with qualifications but are getting peanuts. There are also managers without any paper but are getting good salaries. It is high time we started screening who is who and what someone should get. Even some of these MBA papers people are getting from some of these institutions should be screened because some are of no use to some companies. Getting an MBA must make some contribution to a company but it is the opposite for some because they can not even add 1+1 to be 2. They think it is 11 because there heard are full or theories instead of being practical in the company. kikikikikikikikikikikiki
What about the disparity between leaders like you and the commoners?You drive 3 state of the art vehicles,get huge salaries and allowances free talk time,free fuel etc whilst your citizens whom you are telling to sacrifice can’t even have a single decent meal.
Such leaders are criminals because in other nations, leaders are sacrificing for the benefit of the poor.
Finally the wheels in her head are turning. Madam it’s just not in private owned companies…you have to look at all companies and ensure salaries are harmonized.
Hypocrite…I have no kind words for you
is that your observation from the horse shoe or what?SMH
Mere Rhetoric…sort out the issue and stop issuing statements Minister. We are tired of rhetoric, Ministers in Zambia think if they issue a statement they have worked. That is why ZNBC news is devoid of news but rhetoric only
Only utterances like that can come out of a Grade 12 empty tin like Joyce Nonde!!
Ba Madam, this is a simple issue. Open your own company and pay everyone the same or why can’t you get paid the same amount of money with an office orderly at your ministry. Such things will always be there, just enjoy your money while it lasts than giving false hope to general workers.
Minister even in our govt we need to correct salary scales.
Never ever ever hire a trade unionist to a position of power. Look at how Chiluba FTJ destroyed the great MMD’s well manufactured manifesto. He stole at every opportunity. Mwanawasa was a saving grace. Lungu can redeem himself by firing Dora and Joyce Nonde. I know Dora is not with the labor ministry, but that heifer has to go.
This lady owes the whole nation an apology. Talk about taking the fight for women’s intellectual representation eons into the past.
I think madam Nonde is right, not all people had an opportunity to persue higher degrees of education,there must be fairness, some these people we are misstreating lost their parents at an early stage of life, some their parents could not just afford to keep them in school due to poor financial status, and so, we can not selfishly just abandon them because our parents sponsored us with stolen money and we obtained ka MBA…that is not the heart of good leadership.If you go up you should not forget the people on the lower level,that is pure greediness, and you can never be a successful leader.
HOLD ON , BE PATIENCE ! GIVE HER TIME , AND THATS WHAT HER BEGIN WITH ……
AS A FORMER UNIONIST, I EXPECTED BETTER FROM HER THAN WHAT SHE IS DISPLAYING. THERE ARE A NUMBER OF FACTORS THAT GO INTO FACTORING A SALARY FOR SOMEONE. NOT EVEN THE PEOPLE FROM SAME SCHOOL, SAME POSITION, SAME QUALIFICATION SHOULD GET THE SAME SALARY IN THAT THERE ARE OTHER FACTORS SUCH AS; DEXTERITY, NATURAL TALENT, PERSONAL ATTITUDE TOWARDS WORK & MANY OTHER ATTITUDE. MADAM MINISTER, READ A BIT ON HUMAN CAPITAL
Plse people help me to trecy this company; Two thirds votcon Lmd. Thy hired my truck in August 2014 ; August to November payments WS done ad the contract WS extended from Jan to June ad my truck WS taken to kawambwa in 2015 January after completion of de work here in Luwingu since then no payment hs done ad my vehicle hs bn fanderlized it is just a scrap. Plse people help me Tracy de were about this company a lot of money WS spent for me to buy that vehicle. My line is 0977350879.