By CHARITY MOONGA –
THE Zambia Federation of Employers (ZFE) has warned against illegal strikes.
ZFE president Bruno Chisambo said his organisation is deeply concerned by the reaction of the Mine Workers Union of Zambia (MUZ) to Kalumbila Mine’s response to the illegal strike that recently occurred at the Solwezi mine.
Eleven miners were dismissed last week after being tagged as architects of protests by 3,000 Kalumbila Mine employees, who were aggrieved that the family of their deceased colleague was denied a funeral grant by the company last month.
He said industrial harmony was as much in their members’ best interest as it was in the employers.
Indiscipline among the workforce must not be tolerated especially when there are legitimate established organisational and legal channels of redress.
Trade unions should uphold the principles they themselves proclaim by condemning rather than supporting indiscipline among their members.
Mr Chisambo called for professionalism in the representation of workers as unions worked towards finding a mutually acceptable solution.
“Should that fail, there are procedural and legal avenues available for redress,” he said.
He urged all workers in the country and their representatives in the labour movement to embrace social dialogue and laid down procedures and laws so that industrial disputes can be resolved.
