.SATA

By DELPHINE ZULU –

PRESIDENT Michael Sata has directed the Ministry of Labour and Social Security to ensure employers in the country award workers decent salaries.
President Sata said workers should not go on strike to demand their salaries but that employers should ensure they were paid decent wages without unnecessary delays.
Speaking at the Freedom Statue in Lusaka yesterday, Mr Sata directed Labour and Social Security Minister, Fackson Shamenda to ensure adherence to his directive.
“Workers don’t need to go on strike to have better salaries, employers should reflect on how much they are paying you because you have to put food on the table every day. Mr Shamenda take note and ensure that all employees are looked after very well,” Mr Sata said.
The President said that employers in other sectors should not use wage freeze imposed by Government on the public sector as an excuse to deny their workers better conditions of service.
This year’s Labour Day celebrations were held under the theme “Zambia at 50; Creating Decent Work and Promoting Socio-economic Justice for National Development”.
Mr Sata said Labour Day should mean well for workers, hence the need to ensure they received what they deserved from their employers.
“You should behave like the Police, Zambia Army, ZNS and ZAF, they are impressive in their dressing, you reflect on your employees’ salary, can it put food on the table every day? They have turned up in numbers because this is their day so pay them well,” he said.
He also urged Mr Shamenda to stop discussing the wage freeze because there was nothing to talk about.
“You Mr Shamenda, I’ve stopped you from talking about the wage freeze, by now you should know that there is nothing to talk about the wage freeze because it is for Government and not private sector,” Mr Sata said.
First Republican President Kenneth Kaunda who was among those that attended the celebrations thanked President Sata for his leadership skills and asked everyone to pray for him as he guided the nation.
“All I can say is to thank you for your guidance in leading us in this nation, we thank you very much, we shall pray for you as you as you continue to guide us,” Dr Kaunda said.
Others who attended the celebrations were, Defence Minister Edgar Lungu, Local Government and Housing Minister, Emmanuel Chenda, Acting Chief Justice Lombe Chibesakunda, Speaker of the National Assembly Patrick Matibini and other senior party officials and foreign dignitaries and service chiefs.
Meanwhile, Vice-President Guy Scott urged the Central Statistics Office (CSO) to be more efficient in compiling critical statistics relating to jobs being created in the country, reports MOFFAT CHAZINGWA from Kitwe’ Diggers Rugby Club during the Labour Day celebrations.
Dr Scott said there was need for the CSO to improve and ensure adequate statistics on jobs being created were recorded for the public to know what Government was doing.
He said Government recognised job creation as the top most strategy for ensuring the stability of society and overall growth of the country’s economy.
Zambia Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU) representative Betty Mutambo bemoaned the continued exploitation of workers at the hands of employers.
Ms Mutambo emphasised the need for the country to attract investments that would create decent and quality jobs that ensured social protection to employees upon retiring.
ANDREW PHIRI reports from Livingstone that Works, Supply, Transport and Communications Minister Yamfwa Mukanga said job creation was key to ensuring stability in society and overall growth of the economy.
“Our national long term vision 2030 highlights employment creation as a priority for Zambia in order to realise its dream of being a middle income country by 2030. Among some of the strategies, Government is implementing is the industrialisation and job creation strategy with a view to create one million formal jobs by 2016,” he said.
ZCTU deputy secretary general Cosmas Mukuka said despite the country’s notable achievements in the democratisation process in the last 50 years, Zambia was still  faced with constitutional challenges and widespread corruption in the public and private sectors including lack of transparency in  governance.
In Kabwe, SYLVIA MWEETWA reports that Education Minister, John Phiri assured Zambians that Government was committed to ensure descent jobs were created especially for the youths.
Dr Phiri said the Government had not abandoned its promises to the people and that the objectives of decent work programme would strengthen fundamental principles  and promote employment creation, broaden coverage of  social  protection and foster dialogue.
In Ndola, CHATULA KAMPO reports that Gender and Child Development Minister Inonge Wina has observed that culture has remained a hindrance in recognising women in the labour market in the country.
Ms Wina said culture was still a hindrance in the admission of women in the labour markets and movements.