By Chinoyi Chipulu
United Mine Union of Zambia (UMUZ) president Wisdom Ngwira says he is unhappy with the Emoluments Commission’s performance regarding workers’ salaries and has since issued a seven-day ultimatum for the Commission to set a date for wage negotiations with a certain company on the Copperbelt.
And Ngwira has threatened to publicly name the mining company if the Commission does not meet the deadline.
The Emolument Commission Act of 2022 tasks the Commission with determining salaries for public service and quasi-government workers.
Speaking in an interview yesterday, Ngwira said the prolonged wage stagnation was detrimental and frustrating the workforce as this represented a serious violation of workers’ rights.
“UMUZ has consistently supported the government’s progressive efforts, particularly those to protect workers’ rights. One notable achievement is the introduction of a minimum wage in the transport sector, which has fostered stability and harmony,” he said.
However, Ngwira said establishing the Emoluments Commission had significantly hindered the union’s operations. He said the most pressing issue was that power and ability of unions to negotiate freely with employers now depended on the Commission.
“We are compelled to voice our concerns because we cannot stand by while workers are left without negotiations for years, simply because the Emoluments Commission is determining negotiation parameters. How long should this process take? Is there a specific time frame?” he asked. “We are giving the Emoluments Commission seven days to communicate a date for the commencement of negotiations with company ‘B.’ If this deadline is not met, we will publicly disclose the name of the company in question.”
He expressed frustration over the Commission’s repeated delays, revealing that the union had engaged with the Emoluments Commission multiple times over the past three years in an attempt to secure approval for the wage talks, but had made no progress.
Ngwira urged the government to seriously reconsider the mandate of the Emoluments Commission before the situation worsened.
