MINEWORKERS Union of Zambia (MUZ) president Nkole Chishimba has won the Zambia Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU) presidency by a landslide margin after beating Civil Servants and Allied Workers Union of Zambia (CSAWUZ) leader Davies Chiyobe.
Mr Chishimba drew 193 votes against Mr Chiyobe’s 99 votes in elections whose results were announced at 02:00 hours yesterday.
Zambia National Union of Teachers (ZNUT) president Newman Bubala was elected ZCTU first deputy president after polling 272 votes while National Energy Sector and Allied Workers Union (NESAWU) president Manson Mtambo became ZCTU second deputy president after polling 139 votes against Meat and Grain Workers Union president Blake Mulala who got 119 votes.
Former ZCTU deputy secretary general Cosmas Mukuka scooped the secretary general position with 235 votes against Judiciary and Allied Workers Union of Zambia president Peter Mwale who got 56 votes.
And Mr Chishimba has appealed to Government to address the plight of workers, arguing that there is no strong economy with a poorly paid working class.
Mr Chishimba also urged Government to address the plight of workers at TimesPrintpak, who have gone without salaries for four months.
He also commended the Patriotic Front (PF) top officials for reconciling.
Closing the meeting, Deputy Minister of Labour and Social Security Rayford Mbulu said Government is committed to working with the union to ensure a productive labour force that will grow the economy.
Outgoing ZCTU president Leonard Hikaumba called for unity to ensure the new leaders succeed in pushing forward the agenda of the Zambian worker.
And Zambia Federation of Employers president Tyson Chisambo has urged the labour movement to be flexible in negotiating for better conditions of service so as not to make Zambia an unattractive investment destination for employment creation.
Mr Chisambo urged the labour movement to champion social dialogue on labour markets with stakeholders.
“Your role should not be seen in negotiating for better conditions of employment for those already in employment but also make a positive contribution towards creation of jobs in the country by making workable proposals and also not make the cost of labour very high,” he said.
Meanwhile, ZCTU Livingstone chairperson Maybin Kashumba has called on Government to urgently domesticate the new law that criminalises casualisation of labour, which he said has engulfed the tourism industry in Livingstone.
Mr Kashumba challenged Government to also start grading hotels and lodges, as knowing the status of these institutions has a lot of benefits to both Government and unions.
And Friedrich Ebert Stiftung resident director Hemut Elischer has implored the labour movement to ensure workers’ rights are fully safeguarded and well-represented.
Mr Elischer urged ZCTU to continue playing an active role in policy formulation and offering checks and balances to Government.
It was about time. I was sick and tired of Hikaumba. The dude reached his expiry date a long time ago. How he survived in this position for this long only God knows.
soulosi how are holding up brother??,,, that sicknes of Hikaumba you had sounds like tribalism
Sad that the new president is from a mining union which is one of the most subjugated unions by the employer.
U GUYS ARE EATING ON THE SAME TABLE WITH THE GOVT & THERE IS NOTHING U CAN DO TO REPRESENT THE WORKERS.U’R JUST THERE TO SATISFY YOUR BELLIES
There is something you can do. Vote HH for president and everything will start falling in place. You will not depend on UNIONS to negotiate for a better living standard for you.
The comment that it was good the PFools were reunited after their infighting was unnecessary. It just shows that Nkole’s hands are already tied even before he starts his duties. The workers have lost out again by voting for a traitor.
Hearty congratulations everyone!
“….Mr Chishimba…….also commended the Patriotic Front (PF) top officials for reconciling…”.
Oh oh, I thought that he is president of ZCTU, whose membership cuts across political affiliations? But as soon as he is elected president of ZCTU he flashes his membership card? Oh sorry PF has no membership cards but his message is not lost on members and observers alike.
Chishimba sounds like PF cadre.
Ba Chishimba wesu ubukulu bwankoko masako.Twamisala fwebantu mwitulaba.
This is good, some ZCTU members overstayed or outlived their usefulness.
Now the trade Unions can begin to operate for the interests of their members and not the interests of their employers who have been conniving with the Union leaders as was clearly the case under Hikaumba who was the worst Union leader this country has ever had, what a useless Unionist that man was who did nothing to improve the phlight of the Zambian workers!
Having been part of the participants of this quadrennial and having heard our new ZCTU president speak,the context of his saying the congress was happy that the PF factions had reconciled was in the context that PF as the party in government needed stability for us as a country to have free and fair elections that were peaceful.He further made it clear that as a congress,ZCTU will remain non partisan.