Friday, March 29, 2024

Mine workers union of Zambia commends Government for increasing the Minimum wage

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President Edgar Lungu is welcomed by Minister of Labour
,Joyce Nonde Simukoko during labour day celebrations
Mine workers union of Zambia (MUZ) President Joseph Chewe has commended government’s decision to revise the minimum wage upwards for domestic, shop and general workers.

This follows the issuance of statutory instruments no 69 of 2018 covering domestic workers, statutory no 70 of 2018 covering shop workers and statutory no.71 of 2018 which provides for general application of all protected workers.

Mr Chewe said that government must be commended for revising the minimum wage because all the key economic fundamentals in the country have changed.

He also urged Minister of Labour Joyce Simukoko to speed up the enactment of the minimum wage for workers in the extractive industry whose conditions of service are poor.

Last week, Government revised upwards the minimum wages for workers not represented by trade unions.

Labour and Social Security Minister Joyce Nonde Simukoko, announced at a press briefing that the minimum wages have been revised following a tripartite consultative meeting held on May 18 2018.

Mrs. Simukoko explained that during the consultative meeting, it was agreed for the introduction of new Statutory Instrument on minimum wages.Mrs. Simukoko says the new minimum wages are meant to achieve government’s agenda of addressing challenges affecting un-unionised workers.

Mrs. Simukoko says the new minimum wages are to be effected on 10th September 2018.

She said the revision implies that wages for various categories have been revised upwards with domestic workers’ wages increased from K522.4 to K993.60 with transport allowance inclusive.

Shop workers’ revised minimum wage is pegged at K1, 698/60 with transport, lunch and housing allowances inclusive and that the wages will increase according to the grades of employees while the minimum wage of the highest grade in this category will be getting K3, 558.9.

In the general workers’ category which includes receptionist and guards among others, the minimum wage for category one workers is K1698.60 while the highest category is at K3, 151.61.

Mrs. Simukoko has since urged employers to ensure they abide by the new law.

9 COMMENTS

  1. “Mr Chewe said that government must be commended for revising the minimum wage because all the key economic fundamentals in the country have changed.”

    Then why showing the President picture.

    This is not right, let’s not pin the rest because of next term, it’s for every Zambian no matter your greed to help bring out the best out everyone.
    Not for political gain.

    The President is not doing it for free the tax payer takes care of me very well.

  2. You can literary say bye bye to house servsnt’s jobs. Look, I and my family members can do all the house chores and engange a piece worker only, say once s week to do chores like washing linen or mowing the lawns. It will suffice to pay such a one , say K50 per occasion bringing my monthly cost to K200. Who loses?That’s why policy pronouncements like this one should be based on more holistic rather than atomistic views just because we want to play to the gallery. A sharp knife is very handy for every kitchen but it can easily hurt the intended beneficiary if used carelessly

  3. As for the big applause from the unions, gorvenment should not believe that the policy has been well received. Who doesn’t know that unions get a percentage from workers’ dues? Our unions also rarely mind about the sustainability of the source of workers pay

  4. If the unions were truly and holistically representing the worker, they should next demand that employers, government included, introduce a servants allowance, especially for those young mothers in low income groups like teachers and nurses

    • Some companies like ZCCM and other government departments pay servants on behalf of the employees but more often than not a Zambian domestic employer will only pay a fraction of the amount to the poor unsuspecting kaboyi or house maid. One case is of one manager at ECZ. This case appeared in the Zambia Daily Mail in 2009. The manager owed the domestic close to 10m kwacha which was meant for her monthly wages over some time. The domestic was tipped off by a good Samaritan that she was being shortchanged .

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