THE battle lines for the August 11 general elections are drawn, and participating political parties are certainly going to lob attacks at one another’s manifestos in an attempt to stave off competition.
In my last article, I explained the employment strategy for the United Party for National Development using its 10-point plan.
This week I am focusing on the ruling Patriotic Front (PF), which has anchored its confidence for re-election on what it has accomplished since it formed Government in September 2011.
Republican President Edgar Lungu, who is the head of the PF, says in his preamble to the 2016-2021 manifesto that the Zambian people have taken stock of what the ruling party has accomplished so far.
“We are humbled to know that the Zambian people are able to see and point at the various projects that we had promised to implement during our five-year tenure of office.
“Indeed as the nation goes to the polls, the Zambian people will be fully cognizant of the fact that the elections will be held under a new Constitution,” Mr Lungu says.
He states that after so many costly attempts by previous administrations, the PF Government was able to fulfill its pledge to deliver a people-driven Constitution that reflects the will and aspirations of the Zambian people.
Mr Lungu has outlined a number of successes the PF has scored during its first term in office.
He is satisfied that through appropriate interventions, such as raising the tax free income threshold threefold from K1, 000 in 2011 to K3, 000 in 2014, revision of the minimum wage, and salary increases, the PF has fulfilled its pledge to put more money in people’s pockets.
The PF has also gone a long way in reducing poverty among the most vulnerable households in Zambia by expanding the social protection safety net from 42,000 beneficiary households in eight districts in 2011 to 242,000 households in 78 districts in 2016.
However, my primary interest is on the PF’s goals on labour and industrial relations. According to the ruling party’s manifesto, in the last five years, the PF Government has made notable strides in improving the conditions of service for Zambian workers.
The Employment Act was amended by the Employment Act No.15 of 2015, thereby effectively banning the practice of casualisation.
Two reviews of the minimum wage were undertaken in 2011 and 2012 in order to promote the welfare of workers.
More labour inspectors have been recruited covering at least 60 per cent of labour offices across the country.
Further, a national call centre has been set up to receive calls from workers across the country, thus serving even areas where there are no labour offices.
The Labour Department has been re-established to maintain a register of available skills in the country.
The department conducted a skills survey in conjunction with the Central Statistical Office, and skills available have since been collated.
In 2015 the PF Government revised the retirement age from 55 years by providing for an early retirement option at 55 years, to normal retirement at 60 years with a late retirement option at 65 years.
According to the manifesto, in the next five years the PF administration would formulate implementation guidelines to enforce provisions of the amended Employment Act No.15 of 2015; complete the process of establishing a sector-based minimum wage; finalise the Occupational Safety Health Policy and consequently review the outdated Factories Act.
The PF administration also seeks to enhance capacity of newly-recruited labour officers for effective handling of labour cases; finalise the labour law reforms process in order to domesticate ratified conventions; and reactivate the jobs portal as an added avenue to collect skills data and monitor jobs on demand to guide training.
It has further pledged to enact the Social Protection Bill and
relevant regulation, and decentralise and ensure prompt payments of terminal benefits to retirees through established outlets in the districts.
The PF Government also plans to introduce a formula for monitoring the value of the annuity by taking into account annual inflation; use the social security schemes to advance loans to local authorities for investment in low and medium-cost housing as a way of increasing the housing stock in Zambia; and review all relevant pieces of legislation governing social security schemes.

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Labour and Social Security Minister, Fackson Shamenda, has yet again expressed concern at the increasing number of industrial accidents in the country.
Mr Shamenda has challenged the Workers Compensation Fund Control Board (WCFCB) to reflect on its mandate in view of the occupational injury and disease environment.
He said this will enable the WCFCB to formulate short- and long-term strategies that would cushion the impact of accidents and diseases and also prevent their occurrence at workplaces.
According to some sections of the media, the minister said this in Solwezi on Monday during the launch of the WCFCB pension e-wallet freedom card for payment of monthly pensions to beneficiaries.

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Dear readers, I have struggled to find manifestos for other political parties so that I could share their views on labour and industrial relations.
It is not too late for those that have the documents to send them to the addresses below. For now, let us keep the link open as we share issues on labour and employment.

For comments or questions, email: niza12001@yahoo.com/izukanji.simengwa@gmail.com