. Simukoko

By MILDRED KATONGO –
THE Government has warned employers who are still engaging workers on causal basis despite the ban on casualisation to desist from the act or face the law.
Labour and Social Security Minister Joyce Simukoko said the Government would not take lightly employers still practising casualisation as the law was clear.
Ms Simukoko was responding to concerns raised by a consortium of labour consultants over the 50 per cent of labour in Zambia still on casual basis both in private and public sectors.
She said foreign investors exploiting workers and not adhering to the labour laws should leave the country because the law on casualisation was clear.
Ms Simukoko, however, appealed to the workers to take keen interest in reading matters relating to labour issues and urged them to report employers who were operating outside the law.
Ms Simukoko said in an interview that the Government had banned causalisation and that workers should know their rights and report any cases of causualisation.
“The law is already in place. Why are people accepting to be employed on casual basis?” Ms Simukoko asked. “Let them report their grievances to my office or to their trade unions. The law is there to guide and protect the welfare of workers.”
The minister said if reports on causualisation were not reaching the Labour Ministry, the practice would continue and workers would be exploited.
Ms Simukoko said if casualisation was not curbed, poverty levels would rise, pension homes affected and there would not be stability in the productivity, which would hamper development.
She said workers and trade unions should be vigilant, focused and alert so that employers were not exploiting workers.