Govt. warns workers against frustrating its development agenda

Government has warned workers in the country against frustrating its development efforts.

And labour movements in Kasama have said they will not protect lazy workers who frustrate government efforts aimed at alleviating poverty.

In his key address to hundreds of workers from both the private and public sectors who gathered at the Presidential park in Kasama to commemorating Labor Day, Transport, Works Supply and Communication Minister Christopher Yaluma urged workers in the country to develop a positive culture and attitude towards work.

Mr. Yaluma said the Patriotic Front government will not allow any worker to frustrate its development efforts.

He pointed out that government was in a hurry to create more decent and sustainable jobs for its people.

He said to this end, government recently signed collective agreements with various trade
unions that will see public workers’ wages increase effective September 1^st, 2013.

The 2013 Labour Day was celebrated under the theme “Transforming the economy through job creation, labour law reforms, better conditions of service and improved work culture.”

Mr. Yaluma added that government will continue improving workers’ salaries and conditions of service.

He said government will also reform labour laws in order to bring them in line with the labour market dynamics.

And both the Zambia Congress of Trade Union (ZCTU) and the Zambia Federation of Employers (ZFE) commended government, which is the biggest employers in the country, for the strides it has made in addressing the plight of workers in the country.

ZCTU national trustee member Betty Mutambo noted that the PF government has a task of ensuring better life for all the workers whom she said voted for change in order to significantly improve the lives.

Mrs. Mutambo has since appealed to government, labour movements and other concerned stakeholders to stand together in order to advance the transformation agenda of the country.

She said workers were the backbone of the national development.

Meanwhile, Federation of Employers representative Jairus Simunyola called for uniformity in the application of labour laws between private and public sector workers.

Mr. Simunyola said the selective application of certain provisions of the labour laws is discriminatory.

He was referring to the statutory instruments which provides for a female employee working in a private sector to proceed on maternity leave for 120 days while their counterparts in the public sector were only entitled to 90 days.

The celebrations were preceded by a match past which started from the Kasama-Mbala roundabout to the Presidential Park.