By MOFFAT CHAZINGWA-
THE Mineworkers Union of Zambia (MUZ) has called for unity of purpose in the labour movement, especially the mining sector to ensure effective representation of employees by the union.
MUZ president Nkole Chishimba said having one voice was the only solution to a stronger and effective labour movement.
Mr Chsihimba said in an interview at the weekend after an MUZ meeting for the union branch leaders held at Katilungu House.
“We can’t succeed as a labour movement as long as we continue being divided. If we have to be effective, we need to have one voice as a union,” Mr Chishimba said.
He said there was need to address the problem of fragmentation in the labour movement in order to enhance the bargaining power.
Mr Chishimba said in because of the current fragmentation , the labour movement in the mining industry had not been as effective as it ought to be because of having more than one union.
He urged miners to take a leading role in advocating for a union merger in the mining industry because it was the only way of ensuring increased bargaining power.
“The onus of ensuring one union voice in the mining industry is on our members because the more they respond positively to formation of unions, the more divided we are going to be and so my appeal to miners is that they should be in the forefront advocating for a united union,” he said.
Mr Chishimba said the need to have one union in the mining industry had always been the position of MUZ.
“We have made attempts for a union merger in the past and there seems to be no much effort from our colleagues in other unions and so this has been the problem,” Mr Chishimba said.