The Zambia Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU) has warned employers who delay paying monthly salaries to their workers that they risk facing industrial action.
The ZCTU is concerned and worried by the growing tendency among some employers for failing to pay monthly salaries to their employees on time.
ZCTU Public Relations Director, Martin Chembe said in a statement released to ZANIS that it is demoralizing to see employers prioritizing other things instead of paying monthly wages which he said is against the law and a violation of the rights of the affected workers.
The law, as contained in the employment Act, requires that the wages of an employee should be paid at regular intervals not being later than the fifth day following the date upon which the wages fall due. It is therefore inhuman and unfair for employers to keep workers unpaid for weeks or months, knowing very well that these workers depend on their salaries to meet expenses such as sending their children to school, transport, food and payment of rentals,” he said.
Mr. Chembe disclosed that institutions such as the Road Safety and Transport Agency, the Zambia-Tanzania Railways Authority, the Zambia Bureau of Standards and other institutions have fallen culprit to the trend of failing to pay their workers on designated date.
He said the situation has exposed the workers to misery, agonizing domestic pressures and other monthly financial obligations such as loans and schools fees among others.
The Trade Union has since urged unions to stand up and fight for such workers who cannot speak out to their employers for fear of victimization noting that the trend must not be allowed to continue.
ZCTU has also advised unions to report such cases to the Ministry of Labour and Social Security and urged the Ministry to take cases seriously and censure such employers who were breaking the law with impunity.
One of those employers is GRZ. You want us to report them to Ministry of Labour?????????????
What are the reasons to late payments ? In Zambia you behave like you in another world. You want good results but you don’t want to sort out the problems leading to the same. Take for example KCM, 8 months it has not paid it’s suppliers and contractors and the companies that depend on KCM, how will they pay salaries in time to there workers.
Employees who delay salaries to their workers? please check title
LT chizungu
LT you are useless, look at the heading.
employees?
Mr. Chembe disclosed that institutions such as the Road Safety and Transport Agency, Konkola Copper Mines Plc, Zambia-Tanzania Railways Authority, the Zambia Bureau of Standards and other institutions have fallen culprit to the trend of failing to pay their workers on designated date.
#3 analyst, are you sure? Maybe it means employees who also employ others, don’t you and me employ domestic workers? Or it could mean employees who delay to receive their salaries.
Read what you see….kikikikikikiki…
SO WE CAN EXPECT INDUSTRIAL ACTION FROM ALL THOSE WHO ARE EMPLOYED BY THE GOVERNMENT ??
Worse for those of us who are in the private colleges of education affiliated to UNZA. We go for months on end without pay. And no one to complain to. We are ununionized but employees and citizens of this land. We suffer in silence while our
employers bask in luxury.
Please take actions Even to these organizations such as ba JSI, I worked for 4 good months without been paid, please follow this organization they are using people under voluntary basis while they promise them monthly tokens of which they don’t pay them.
This is becoming worse to most of the companies, please please ba labour office we want to see you take some actions on such employers and one of the company I know is Oriental quarries,
I am a govt worker who has never being paid in the following month. I always get paid ealier and not later than 31st of every month.