. Shamenda

By SYLVESTER MWALE? –
LABOUR Minister Fackson Shamenda has warned managers at Trans Nabila trucking company in Lusaka against intimidating employees in a bid to avoid paying their dues.
And former operations manager Suleman Makalani has told the Sunday Times that his utterances last week that managers at the firm were thugs were issued “under heavy emotional strains”.
In an interview during the week, Mr Shamenda said the employees should be given their dues as per requirement by the law without any intimidation.
Regional manager Rezeanne Maradona was forced to pay K9,000 to one of his former drivers Gideon Phiri as an inducement to drop criminal charges against him.
This was after Mr Maradona had aimed a gun at Phiri with the aim of shooting the ex-employee after the two had some misunderstandings.
The transport company has witnessed rising tension following its decision to retrench a bulk of its workforce on account of poor business.
The minister said the Government had given guidance on how the managers should conduct their retrenchment and was waiting for a feedback from Trans Nabila.
Meanwhile, Mr Makalani said he wished to retract his statement that managers at the company were “thugs with no regard for human rights” because it was detrimental to directors at Trans Nabila.
Lusaka Province Police Commissioner Charity Katanga said officers had confiscated the pistol from Mr Maradona and were currently exploring available options, including revocation of the license of the firearm.