By MUNAMBEZA MUWANEI –
GOVERNMENT has urged employers to allow employees to participate in this year’s Labour Day celebrations.
Copperbelt Permanent Secretary Howard Sikwela said employers and employees should observe the Labour Day celebration as it reaffirms the role that workers play in economic growth.
Reverend Sikwela who was speaking during a Chief Executive Officers’ meeting with the Ndola District Administration at the Ndola City Council (NCC) chambers, said workers should not be presumed to be tools of production but were equal partners in the pursuit for economic growth.
This year’s Labour Day will be celebrated under the theme ‘Promoting national economic growth through job creation, free collective bargaining and respect of workers’ rights’.
“I wish to affirm that workers are the engine through which sustainable national development can be attained,” Rev Sikwela said.
He said employers also play a major role in the attainment of economic and industrial growth because they provided job opportunities and services to citizens.
He reaffirmed Government’s commitment to ensure that the country’s labour laws were observed at work places by both employers and employees.
Ndola District Commissioner Rebby Chanda said Labour Day celebrations were not just for local investors but even foreign investors since they were also employers.
Mr Chanda said employees always look forward to this day because they normally look forward to be awarded.
“Employees look forward to this day and their expectations are high since by being awarded handsomely this increases their morale hence high productivity which results in an improvement in our economy,” he said.
The event attracted all Ndola-based chief executives officers.