Labour and Social Security Minister Fackson Shamenda has challenged Human resources practitioners in the country to play a pivotal role in ensuring that the amended labour laws are effectively enforced in their work places.

In a speech read on his behalf by Labour Deputy Minister Rayford Mbulu during the official opening of the Zambia Institute of Human Resource (ZIHRM) meeting held at Chrismar Hotel in Livingstone yesterday, Mr Shamenda said the human resources practitioners in the country should play an advisory role to their management to ensure that the country’s labour laws are adhered to.

Mr Shamenda observed that while government has successfully reviewed a number of statutory instruments related to labour such as the revision of the minimum wage as promised in its manifesto, the labour market in Zambia still faced a number of challenges such as poor working culture, poor conditions of service, non-compliance to labour laws among others.

The Labour minister said government expects all human resources’ practitioners in the country never to disregard labour laws but to appreciate and correctly interpret the labour laws and advise their employers accordingly.

“While the majority of employers in the country are now complying with the revised minimum wages, my ministry is disturbed by reports of some few employers who are not paying according to the statutory instruments,” said Mr Shamenda.

“ And this is where we expect the Human resources personnel to appreciate and interpret labour laws to employers to create interface between management and workers to facilitate social dialogue in order to promote harmonious industrial relations,” Mr Shamenda said.

The minister further urged the human resources personnel to assert themselves and point out wrong things at the places of work whether by their management or their workers.

“Let us not have rubber stamps human resources personnel who merely carry out instruction as directed even if such instructions are wrong and will disadvantage Zambia workers, but let us have human resource personnel who stand their ground and call a spade a spade even at the expense of losing employment,” said Mr Shamenda.

Mr Shamenda urged ZHRM to put in place mechanism to enforce the provision of the revised labour Act adding that for its part, government we will work closely with the institute to review the ZIRM
Act to strengthen the enforcement mechanism.

He also said the ZIHRM act no. 11 of 1997 was very critical in the development of the country and particularly in the improvement of productivity in all organizations in the country.

He said government would like to see that the productivity levels of Zambian workers are enhanced to match what was obtaining in other countries adding that ZHRM plays an important role in the training and development of human resources expected to meet the demands of business in the 21st Century.

“My government would like to see that the productivity level of Zambians are enhanced to match what is obtaining in other countries and as human resource personnel you must spearhead this objective through initiatives such as training and performance appraisals,” Mr Shamenda said.

He also said government banned non-Zambians from performing duties of human resources with the understanding that not only does the country have enough trained human resource personnel but also that human resource duties are better understood by Zambians who have an in-depth understanding of the local people and their cultural practices.

And ZHRM President Winner Kanyembo said the institute was facing a number of financial challenges to effectively carry out its operations such as conducting training workshops for human resources practitioners.

He explained that the institute had limited capacity to carry out inspections for compliance with the labour laws but added that the revision of the ZHRM act will help in enforcing compliance among
defaulters.

Mr Kanyembo also said ZHRM has embarked on a recruitment drive to ensure that all government human resources personnel were registered with institution as directed by the ministry of labour.

Mr Kanyembo further said the institute which currently has a total of 2,332 registered members will continue working with government to improve the labour market in the country.

ZANIS

Siavonga area Member of Parliament (MP) Kennedy Hamudulu has called for calm among the general public as the deadline for the usage of old currency approaches.

Mr Hamududu said that there is only 30 days remaining to transact in old notes and thereafter, there is still a provision for the general public to exchange their old currency from commercial banks up to the end of this year.

“Its only at the point of transacting that it will no longer be tenable but people still have time to go to the banks and exchange their old currency for the new notes up to the end of this year,” said Hamudulu.

The parliamentarian said people can exchange their old money through business transactions now as it is still a legal tender up to the end of this month (June).

Mr Hamudulu said this in an interview with ZANIS in Siavonga yesterday.

Mr Hamudulu however, called on the Bank of Zambia to intensify its sensitization programs in order to educate the public on the phasing out of the old currency in circulation.

Mr Hamudulu said that the Bank of Zambia should also take stock of the remaining old currency in circulation especially in rural areas.

“I think there might be some people in the remote areas who would want Bank of Zambia to extend the use of old currency up to December, I’m sure there is need to find out exactly how much money is still uncorrected from the rural communities,” suggested Hamudulu.

Meanwhile some traders and villagers in Siavonga district have called on the Bank of Zambia to introduce the mobile banks in the area to enable them discard their old notes for the rebased ones.

They said this will allow them to change their monies freely and avoid congestion at the only bank in the area, the Zambia National Commercial bank (ZANACO).

The villager’s also appealed to other people who have learned how to use the rebased money to help them and ensure that they don’t get cheated by unscrupulous people.

The Bank of Zambia has designated 30th June 2013 as the last day for the usage of the old currency as a medium of exchange at all points of sale.

ZANIS

The Bank of Zambia (BoZ) has adjusted its policy rate upwards by 25 basis points to 9.5 % for June 2013 following a meeting held by the Monetary Policy Committee this year.

A monetary policy rate is a tool used for controlling inflation, determining day-to-day liquidity operations and other market rates.

BoZ has in the last two (2) months maintained the policy rate at 9.25 percent.

In a statement issued to media in Lusaka yesterday, BoZ Head of Public Relations Kanguya Mayondi said the committee decided to increase the policy rate to 9.5 per cent for June as a response to inflation challenges.

Mr Mayondi disclosed that the Committee anticipates upward risks to inflation during the month of June 2013, mainly arising from recent increase in the pump price of fuel, coupled with the lagged effects of the recent exchange rate depreciation.

He said the committee, however, expects inflationary pressures to be moderated by the relative stable prices of food items.

Mr Mayondi said this resulted from a positive food balance as indicated in the recent crop forecast survey results.

He explained that the committee weighed the risks and was of the opinion that inflationary pressures during the policy-relevant period would be a threat to the achievement of end-year inflation target of 6.0%.

Mr Mayondi has since revealed that the next meeting of the Monetary Policy Committee to review the Bank of Zambia Policy Rate will be held at the end of June 2013.