A work stoppage to demand for better pay has forced Pick N’ Pay to shut its stores countrywide.
The workers protested Friday morning and demanded that management revises their salaries upwards and improves their overall working conditions.
The workers have vowed not to resume work until their demands are met.
A check at Woodlands Mall found workers outside chanting slogans denouncing management.
At Lusaka’s Levy Mall branch, the workers used branches to block the deliveries gate near Kabelenga road where they camped.
The situation was the same at Ibex Hill, PHI and Kabulonga outlets in Lusaka and other towns across the country.
In Ndola, the chain store’s outlets at Zmart Mall and Kansenshi were closed.
One of the workers who spoke on condition of anonymity complained that she has worked for six years as a part time worker without getting confirmed.
She said she is paid K600 and works up to 21:00 Hours and does not receive transport allowance.
“I have been mugged three times because I have to walk in the dark to catch a bus,” she complained.
Management sources have revealed that the workers have been offered K50 salary increment while the workers are demanding for minimum K600.
Meanwhile, outspoken EPP leader Chilufya Tayali has strongly condemned Labour Minister Joyce Nonde accusing her of failing to address grievances of the workers.
“This Minister just shocked me, this morning when she told workers that, they should go back to work, otherwise Pick n Pay will fire them and they should not complain, adding that, there are so many people looking for employment,” Mr Tayali said.
“Basically, she told them off that, because jobs are difficult to finds, Zambians should be exploited and not complain otherwise they would be fired for others who are ready to be exploited and abused – what a minister.”
Mr Tayali added, “Joyce Nonde forgot that, she burnt Tax-payers’ fuel to go to Pick n Pay woodlands only to intimidate workers, who pay her through their taxes, instead of speaking for them. What kind of minister is this one?”
“Remember this is the same minister who ordered the police to arrest a whistle-blower at Horse Shoe Restaurant, today she is at it again telling off workers at Pick n Pay. How long are we going to pay, heftily, ministers who are useless to us, because they are not serving us?”
He said President Edgar Lungu must fire this minister because saying the PF was not voted into power to create jobs for people like Joyce Nonde who are doing nothing to deserve their good life at our expense.
Mr Tayali said workers at Pick N Pay are justified in their demands and this Government must protect them.
South African shops should just pack their bags and go if they don’t want to pay our people a working wage. How do you pay a shop attendant K600 when even service station attendants who attend to a less number of people pay day are paid more than K1,000? It is totally unacceptable!
Why should they , pick n pay, up salaries when you have PF ministers on their side ???
Comment:
Something wrong with these outlets. Workers underpaid at each of these South African businesses. Nonde condemning workers is simply unacceptable and SAD!
For sure Joice Nonde is one of the useless ministers that we have, I don’t know what good president Lungu has found in her, she has never solved any labour dispute ever since she was appointed and it is not pick and pay who paying low salaries alone even manufacturing companies like the newly opened Neelkanth Cables are paying workers peanuts. Surely are these the ministers you can compare with the hardworking Kambwili? Kaya!
Joyce Nonde is just the latest example of “union officials” who have proved to be very disappointing as leaders, “ba musenga ukwakaba…”
Comment:
K600 per month! That’s worse than casualisation. And all that Nonde can do is mock the workers. This is the problem with some nominated members of parliament. They owe no allegiance to the electorate.
Pick n pay just give them K1500 across the board. Its not too much money after all you make good profit all year round. Be realistic.
These chain store workers need a strong union to represent them, not haphazard labour action. The minister can help but ultimately it’s a well organised union that can solve their problems. To see Tayali attacking Honorable Nonde tells me that there is cheap politicking happening here, Tayali is trying to gain quick political mileage-cheap crook!! Always talking rubbish and attaking the government so that hh can pay his legal fees, 1diotic donkey!!!
This Nonde is a very useless labor minister! Kambwili would have not tolerated this nonsense! But NO… He was put aside because his attitude was going to chase away our “potential” investors who are now paying our people peanuts (or peas to be exact!). This fool of a woman should be fired!!! Not fit to be a mother at all.
Its to pick the workers … and to pay them.
To use the 1970s primary grade vocabulary from that village school where the richest kid in class wore pata-patas (flip-flops), and the teacher taught English in his native language; and witches had a field day or night ‘wedding’ the first female teacher to arrive at the post. Etc.
Joyce Nonde is the same as Fackson Shamenda, totally useless. These labour leaders become worse than the capitalists themselves when they cross over. Look at FTJ and his reckless privatisation of the 90’s. Lots of workers lost employment and went to their early graves due to his policies. Even Austin Liato, who spoke tirelessly for the Zesco employees became a thief, a reckless plunderer who ran out of where to stash is cash. Useless, all of them.
Incompetent is rewarded in Lazy’s govt…this dull woman should have been history last time she interfered personally in that race issue at that resturant!!
Is that 600 per day or per week? 600 per day isn’t too bad.
Its this empty tin again…Joyce Nonde!!
The gov’t should set a minimum wage that reflects the cost of living in Zambia with foreign owned stores. That’s like £60.00approx. a month UK wage. Ridiculous. Why have these retail outlets when we can support local business people to set up Zambian chains selling Zambian goods? President Kaunda had the right policy, buy Zambian and limit foreign act ants in the retail sector, especially agricultural production of food. We must own what goes on our tables. Those foreign chains are for maximum profit and that means poor salaries. One of the promises the gov’t makes to these chains by ‘investors,’ is Cheap Labour. I think that needs to be dropped. Improve work related training and have a ready made home trained workforce that must be paid a decent wage. That means they have…
Means they have more money to spend into our economy rather than investors sending our money off to other countries. The offer of low taxes to investors must be revised. Zambia must have a larger slice of the cake, from the wealth created in Zambia.
Set a minimum wage with foreign owned stores only?
Useless workers deserve useless salaries,Almost all of these pick n pay employees are uneducated fools and are getting what they deserve…
You don’t know the circumstances of those “uneducated, useless” people you are talking about or what led to them not having an education. That place employs disabled people too like the deaf. How many schools are there in Zambia that accommodate disabled people? Count yourself blessed if you are in a position better than theirs. Life is not like that for everyone.
K600 mmmm! pick n pay must be reasonable when it comes to paying workers, how can they allow someone 2 work 4 six years without confirmation Zambian especially those working South African store need 2 be alert and innovative they can take knowledge from where they work and open their own businesses.
Wages are too low but what is the award set by minjstry of labour., that young lady gets 600kr for 21 hrs work if she works 40 hrs per month rhen salary is 1100kr……. problem with this country if we increase iwages cost of goods increase accordingly and we are no better off.
Let these shopping malls abusing workers just pack and go back to their respective countries.
PnP and other SA businesses should just quit Zambia. Let them suffer and leave all those people unemployeed. If Zambia is sooo great it will take care of it’s citizens.