By Merlyn Mwanza
Independent member of parliament (Chienge) Given Katuta says she’s saddened that she has not seen the law amended despite the slavery and racism Zambian workers are subjected to by some ‘foreign investors.’
And Pambashe member of parliament (PF) Ronald Chitotela said he expected Labour minister Brenda Tambatamba to talk about the K1500 salary increments President Hakainde Hichilema promised the civil servants if elected into office.
Debating the estimates for the Ministry of Labour, Katuta said she supported the budgetary allocation to the Ministry, but had some problems with the Ministry which she hoped minister Tambatamba would address being a woman.
She said Zambians have become slaves in their own country, but lamented how inspectors in the Ministry were going about with their inspections, especially in Lusaka’s industrial areas, and some companies making overalls along and ChaChaCha road, where people are locked up during lunch time.
She said despite the rampant abuse going on, no law had been effected to expanding penalties against the offenders, as Zambians continue to suffer at the hands of the foreign investors.
Katuta said she thought the minister was also going to talk about the issue of minimum wage, saying the “foreign investors have no regard for our people to plan for their future and what they will become when they retire.”
She said she wanted to hear more money being allocated towards inspections, saying she hoped those who had been doing the inspectors “did not receive a hand” owing to the abuses which continue going unpunished.
“Racism…our people are treated like animals in some of these companies…we want real Labour inspectors especially in the manufacturing industry,” said Katuta. “When you look at Shoprite, the working hours of our people and how much they get…filling stations, look at how our young men are treated.”
She said Zambians needed a Labour Ministry which was not on paper but one which was action oriented, saying there was no way people would be getting peanuts with this high inflation rate.
Pambashe member of parliament (PF) Ronald Chitotela wondered where the “K1500 promised to us the civil servants” was, as Tambatamba had not mentioned anything about that.
He boasted that under the PF government of late president Michael Sata, salaries for civil servants salaries were increased by 200 percent when PF just assumed government.
Chitotela wondered what had happened to the University of Zambia (UNZA) and other graduates who lined up in graduation gowns on August 12, 2021 to vote for the UPND.
He said he expected Tambatamba to say the government was reviewing the minimum wage when she made her statement.
He warned that if those in the UPND failed to learn from the mistakes done by the PF, they risked falling into the same ditch, as a wise person is supposed to learn from the mistakes of his friend.
Tambatamba on her part said the government would review the NAPSA to stiffen compliance by the stakeholders involved.
