L/stone tourism workers to resume protest

TOURISM industry workers in Livingstone will resume their protest today after the seven-day ultimatum given to Livingstone’s Adventure group of companies’ director Daan Brink to leave the country elapsed.
The workers, who marched to Livingstone District Commissioner Omar Munsanje’s office to deliver their petition last week, gave Mr Brink up to yesterday to leave the country for allegedly intimidating them.
They also accused Mr Brink of racism, abusing labour laws, refusing workers to join unions of their choice and that he had formed a cartel which was intimidating workers in the Livingstone tourism industry.
Hotel, Catering, Tourism and Allied Workers Union of Zambia (HCTAWUZ) regional organising secretary, Morris Sangulube said his members would resume their protests today because their demands had not yet been met.
Speaking in an interview from Lusaka yesterday, Mr Sangulube said Ministry of Labour and Social Security officials only met Mr Brink last week and did not meet workers over their grievances.
“The latest on our protest is that the Ministry of Labour sent officials to address the protesters and they only had a meeting with Blink and did not meet the workers.
“On Tuesday, we will have a meeting in Livingstone and resume the protests because we our grievances have not yet been addressed,” he said.
The protesting workers are from the Livingstone tourism industry, all lodges, backpacker lodgings and tour operators affiliated to HCTAWUZ.
When contacted for a comment last week, Labour and Social Security Minister Fackson Shamenda said he would issue a comment at an appropriate time after he officially receives the petition.
“I have not yet officially received the comment and I will only comment at an appropriate time after I receive and study the petition,” Mr Shamenda said.
Mr Brink refused to comment over the matter and referred all queries to his lawyer Fredrick Chuunga who in turn dismissed the allegations leveled against his client.