.SHAMENDA

By CHARITY MOONGA –

LABOUR and Social Security Minister Fackson Shamenda has directed Hotel Inter-Continental management to reinstate the suspended 115 workers who were relieved of their duties following an industrial dispute.
Mr Shamenda directed that the letters of suspension to the 115 workers be immediately withdrawn so that industrial peace can be restored.
The minister takes strong exception to the decision by the management of Intercontinental hotel’s decision to suspend the workers.
The Patriotic Front Government was voted into office on the platform of pro-poor policies and job creation to lift the Zambian people out of poverty and that any undue and unnecessary job losses through redundancies would not be entertained in order to preserve these jobs.
The union and management were further directed to continue to demonstrate leadership and amicably resolve and conclude the outstanding issues in the 2014 negotiation for salaries and other conditions of service in the spirit of dialogue in order to maintain industrial harmony.
Government would support both local and foreign investments in the country and would not tolerate acrimonious working relations.
The resolve to support investments was demonstrated recently by the level of business given to Intercontinental Hotel during the Jubilee celebrations and the mourning period, and ultimately, the burial of the late President Michael Sata.
It was Government’s view that business owners would give sufficient mandate to management teams charged with the running of those businesses.