Africa-Press – Zambia. The Zambia Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU) has asked the New Dawn Government to protect the existing jobs in the country and create more employment in the formal sector.
Speaking during the end of year media briefing in Kitwe, ZCTU President Nkole Chishimba said the state should formulate and promote fiscal policies which will safeguard employment and promote workers rights.
Mr. Chishimba commented on the political situation, the Covid-19 pandemic, the current economic situation, the IMF deal, challenges in the energy sector and the decentralization policy.
The ZCTU boss further highlighted the fight against corruption, amendment of the Industrial and Labour Relations Act, Productivity, Social Dialogue and workers rights.
On job creation, Mr. Chishimba said it is important for the government to create an enabling environment for social dialogue in which workers, employers and the Government can share their experience.
“I wish to urge the Government to protect the existing jobs and create new employment in the formal economy, while ensuring that any policy development does not negatively impact workers rights and decent work,” he said.
“Further, I wish to encourage the Government to formulate and promote fiscal policies which will safeguard employment, promote rights at work and guarantee social protection for all workers. With particular attention to vulnerable groups that are disproportionately impacted by the negative economic effects,” Mr. Chishimba said.
“It is important for the government to create an enabling environment for social dialogue in which workers, employers and the Government can share their experience and freely share their experiences and feely express their needs and impacts of the economy,” he said.
Mr. Chishimba further called for the amendment of the current Industrial and Labour Act as he branded it archaic. He charged that some people in the previous PF government violated and abused the Industrial and Labour Relations Act by denying workers salary increases and improved conditions of work.
Mr. Chishimba said the Industrial and Labour Relations Act is meant to protect workers but was used to weaken unions by antagonizing union members and sponsoring the formation of splinter unions.
“There is no dispute that some clauses in our current Industrial and Labour Act are archaic and need to be amended to deal with emerging challenges on the labour market. This law provides for the rights of workers at the workplace.”
“However, we note that some people in the previous government violated the Industrial and Labour Relations Act and abused workers by denying them salary increases and improved conditions of work. While this law is supposed to protect workers, some people saw it fit to weaken unions by antagonizing union members and sponsoring the formation of splinter unions,” Mr. Chishimba said.
“We are appealing to the new Government to urgently initiate the process of amending this act so that the rights of workers can be restored, because it is good for the workers, productivity and national development.”
Mr. Chishimba added:”I wish to mention that the work of the trade union movement in Zambia is challenging in view of a number of social-economic challenges facing workers.” He also hailed the new Government for awarding public service workers a 12% salary increment.
“I would like to take this opportunity to thank the Government for the 12% public service wage award to public unions. This comes together with the budgetary commitment to recruit about 40, 000 public service workers in 2022. We commend the Government for these commitments especially considering the current economic challenges in Zambia. We urge the government to continue on this trajectory and ensure that the subsequent national budgets in the medium term take into account recruitments and pay awards for workers in order to raise motivation,” Mr. Chishimba concluded.
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