By MOFFAT CHAZINGWA –

THE Zambia Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU) is thrilled with the Government’s decision to amend the Statutory Instrument (SI) signed last year to increase retirement age from 55 to 65 years.
ZCTU president Nkole Chishimba said he was happy that finally, Government through the Labour Minister Fackson Shamenda, had announced that the SI signed to increase the retirement age would be amended.
Mr Shamenda said on Monday that the SI on retirement age would be amended to make it relevant to the Zambian Labour industry and has since given the time-frame for concluding?negotiations.
Mr Chishimba said he was happy with the minister’s statement because it was in line with the proposals by the unions.
“This is exciting news to us the labour movement because we have always been looking forward to concluding this matter so that we move ahead with other things,” Mr Chishimba said.?He was happy that the minister had now attached a time-frame to the period for concluding negotiations relating to the retirement age.
“We must say that the statement by the minister is in line with what our proposals have been which in our view means that we have already reached a consensus,” he said.
Mr Chishimba said the position of both the Government and unions on the retirement age was well known and the fact that Mr Shamenda mentioned all the details entailed then that there was now little work to conclude the matter on retirement age.
The ZCTU president was particularly in agreement with the minister that the negotiations on the retirement age should result in a ‘win-win’ situation.
From the previous discussions between the Government and the unions, Mr Shamenda had always been consistent in driving the retirement age matter in the direction he had now done and the only encouragement to him was to be steady fast so that the matter could be concluded once?and for all.