The Zambia Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU) has condemned the decision by the Independent Broadcasting Authority (IBA) to suspend the broadcasting license of Prime TV for 30 days.
In a statement, ZCTU Secretary General Cosmas Mukuka has since appealed to the IBA to seriously consider reversing this action and lift the suspension for the sake of the workers and democracy.
Mr Mukuka says the reasons spelt out by IBA as grounds for the suspension sound more of a professional nature than anything, stating that the heavy punishment handed on Prime TV is unfair.
He says ZCTU would have expected IBA to professionally engage Prime TV on the contentious issues to save the welfare of workers employed by the station.
Mr Mukuka says the punitive action by IBA is in direct contrast to the PF government pro-poor policies, adding that this action is likely to make government unpopular among the people because workers at Prime TV have families and relatives who are looking up to them for their livelihood.
Meanwhile the ZCTU has expressed concern at the delay by government to pay February salaries to various public sector workers.
Mr Mukuka says this trend is unacceptable and can have negative effect on the motivation of the workers.
He says delaying salaries to workers can be stressful to workers affected and that the unions fears that if workers are subjected to such delays, their attitude towards work will be affected.
The ZCTU Secretary General has reminded government that delays in paying workers their salaries whenever they fall due is against the law and a gross violation of the workers’ rights.
Mr Mukuka has also expressed concern over the non-payment of salaries to workers under ZAMPOST who have gone for months without receiving their salaries.
And Action Aid Zambia has demanded the immediate lifting of the suspension of Prime Television’s broadcast licence.
In a statement, Action Aid Zambia Country Director Nalucha Ziba says her organization is utterly shocked and deeply saddened by the Independent Broadcasting Authority’s decision to suspend the broadcast licence for Prime TV for 30 days.
Ms Ziba notes that the decision to suspend Prime TV’s licence follows several events involving the PF secretary general Mr Davies Mwila and the television’s staff, which later led to the former writing a complaint letter to the IBA against the media organisation.
She says whatever disagreements there could have been between IBA and Prime TV, the decision taken to suspend the station’s broadcast licence is extreme and against provisions of the Republican Constitution which guarantees freedom of the press and expression.
Ms Ziba states that Action Aid Zambia can clearly see that the decision taken on Prime TV is meant to gag the press and whip them into submission of the desires of the most powerful, a trend widely seen in totalitarian regimes.
She says the IBA should have used other channels to address whatever grievances they, or other stakeholders, may have had against Prime TV than resorting to extreme measures that only serve to worsen the country’s standing on the global scene.
She says Action Aid Zambia believes the IBA is more than capable to handle complaints against a media house in a manner that does not stifle the much-needed freedoms of the press.
Ms Ziba states that the IBA must make itself relevant by playing the role of promoting pluralism and professionalism in media than acting as a body that acts to victimise the institutions that it should protect.
She says a country that is intolerant to press freedom cannot be trusted by the investors or donors.
Looks like ZCTU is part of the indiscipline problem
He is right.
There was no justificyand need to suspend their licence.
Thanks
BB2014,2016
ZCTU, yesterday there was a leak that PRIME TV does not take care of its employees. I encourage you to engage tge station mgt immediately and address workers plight. You sit there and claim that IBA is being unprofessional. How ironic, Mukuka. Are sure are you that an attempt to straighten Prime had not taken place already? You feel one month suspension of Prime is too much? How about 3 to 6 months. Okay we all agree that Prime TV was at fault; guess what? If Government didn’t move in, you same chaps would be blaming Government today. Remember Government is privy to various intelligence you may not be exposed to. I repeat, address plight of workers at Prime immediately, hypocrite.
Mr MuKuka, you have heard that PRIME TV is NOT YET unionized , It’s like you are new prey on it?
SALARIES were delayed yet you were quiet in the iceberg.NO voice at all .
You guys running Unions you are as good as HALLELUJAH MINISTRIES pastors.FULL OF BAD MANNERS.
These are the camouflaged individuals that will work against government in the next election.
Mr P and Albert unless you can walk in those workers’ shoes, you cannot condemn ZCTU for standing up for workers’rights and plight. Those workers are voters too and they will decide the fate of the ruling party so please consider them when making these decisions.
Lute is it possible a fish can live out of water? Only a novice can say what you’re saying. Closed or not the PTV workers are hard core Upnd supporters. Your concern should be whether the closure is justified or not and not who those workers will vote for.
IBA
ZCTCU you have failed to fight for our worker’s conditions but instead you find it easy to talk about something you don’t even understand. Stick to mining issues because you know how a winder engine works. Don’t jump on the bandwagon because everyone is doing so. Ask where the wagon is heading first.
Country C next door has not witnessed peace Zaka nama years. IBA is legitimately trying to regulate a TV station with arrogant mgt, some stooge out of nowhere is trying to snoop his nose in business he doesn’t understand. Isn’t that misplaced criticism? When ZRA pounced on Mmembe’s Post for taxes, rogues cried foul. Isn’t Mmembe a politician today he was supposed to be when he was publishing that series of Lucifer’s File?
The union talking about workers who have been refused to belong to a union by prime tuvi???
This was all political, IBA is an arm of PFoools stup!d party
A clear issue in ethics when the guilty is seen as the innocent. People should be talking about retraining the Prime Tv UPND cadres. I like the way they report on rural Zambia challenges, not their political tone.
Just to imagine that civil servant salaries remain unpaid to-date, when Joyce Nonde a unionist, who has represented workers for years, can today dine and sup with PF government to which she is part of, remain quiet is not only very disgusting but she is a real turn coat hypocrite.
These delays to pay civil servant salaries on time are signs of worse things to come.Fellow Zambians we should brace ourselves for worse times due to the biggest mistake we made by voting for PF
this is a country of jokers. shame.
Wafilwa ukulwishisha bashi mine indalama wasanguka cicisanguka,come back to you sense iweee.miners want money and that stories you are involving yourself in.
The biggest problem Iam seeing reading through the opinions is that both PF and UPND have managed to reduce the general citizenry thinking capacity to political party cadre status. Almost all bloggers are advancing their points according to the party they are aligned to and not looking at the core mandate of why IBA was created in the first place and what other measures IBA could have enforced before going to the extremes as the case is at the moment. Bloggers should learn to interrogate the various issues which will come at their disposal in a professional and balanced manner so that others can learn from your wisdom and intelligence. I rest my case.