The National Union of Commercial and Industrial Workers (NUCIW) branch in Kafue district has condemned management at African Textiles of Zambia (ATZ) for sending workers on forced industrial leave without paying them their dues as agreed in their collective agreement.
NUCIW Kafue branch Chairman Robert Munsanje stated that the continued sending off of workers by companies should no longer be entertained by government as it is contributing to poverty and unemployment among Zambians.
He told ZANIS that government should formulate a policy which will stop investors and companies from laying off workers especially that the world was experiencing financial problems.
He said the union is not happy with the decision made by management at ATZ to lay off workers without paying them their dues as this was not being honest.
Mr. Munsanje said management had signed a collective agreement which stated that workers will be paid their gratuity, salaries and leave days once sent off .
He said the more than 100 workers who have been sent off should have first been paid and written to.
He has since advised management to reverse its decision so that workers are first given their dues.
Mr. Munsanje also appealed to government through the Ministry of Commerce, Trade and Industry to monitor privatized companies so that they operate within the conditions they committed themselves to when buying the companies.
He said it was unfortunate that all the companies that were formerly government owned have continued to face industrial unrest and differences between workers and managements.
ZABNIS/BS/CMM/MKM/ENDS.
We need to improve our labour laws.
i think laour laws dont work any more
This is not the way to treat workers, especially in these hard times. At least pay them their dues for the leave.
GRZ is just too passive, these are the issues which need to concentrate on, not on Fr Bwalya. how will these people survive?
Abantu bachula pafula and the goverment seems not to have answers.when it’s election time that’s when they remember that there outstanding problems they promised to solve that’s when they even promise something bigger than the earlier.abantu nabo instead of reminding them elyo batota again.uluse ine