THIS week, I am ruminating on matters of labour and employment from the resort district of Siavonga, in Southern Province, where I am part of a national workshop on domestic work.
The two-day workshop, being held at Lake Safari Lodge, has been organised by the International Labour Organisation (ILO), in collaboration with the Ministry of Labour and Social Security.
One of the challenges facing domestic workers is the lack of solid information about the employment situation in the domestic work sector.
This information is necessary as a basis for planning effective policies and actions on domestic work, and assessing their results.
The ILO is providing technical support to the domestic work sector through a project entitled ‘Integrated Actions for Improving Working Conditions for Domestic Workers’.
The project aims to strengthen capacities of government, workers’ and employers’ organisations, and governance institutions to assess, design and implement effective policies, laws and programmes concerning wages and earnings, working time and other conditions of work.
I will have a lot to share after this insightful workshop that will discuss, among other topics, the global perspective on domestic work.
As important steps are being taken to give the necessary recognition to domestic helps, it is important for all the interest groups in Zambia to learn from the progress so far recorded in other countries, as well as changes happening across the various projects.
These are some of the actions that will lead to development of a legal framework that will guide domestic work in Zambia.
For this week, I will highlight the role of the Labour Department to assist some readers who responded to what I wrote on occupational safety and health (OSH).
It is the duty of any employer to ensure workers operate in safe and healthy environments to avoid accidents and health complications.
I indicated in my previous article that Zambia recorded 574 occupational accidents in 2014, compared to 878 in 2013. As for the death rate, the country recorded 66 in 2014 compared to 99 the previous year.
More than 107 occupational diseases were recorded in 2014 compared to 152 in 2013, according to the Ministry of Labour.
It is such occurrences which gave birth to the World Day for Safety and Health at Work, an annual international campaign to promote safe, healthy and decent work.
It is held on April 28 and has been observed by ILO since 2003. The theme for the 2015 commemoration of the World Day for Safety and Health at Work, ‘Join in building a culture of prevention on occupational safety and health’, was good.
Everyone – employers and employees – should work towards changing their attitudes towards OSH.
There are some readers who sought to know the role of labour inspectors, and the procedure of reporting accidents and unsafe work environments generally.
Well, the Labour Department is one of the departments under the Ministry of Labour and Social Security which performs the following functions:
• It administers and enforces labour laws to ensure that required standards of employment are adhered to for the protection of workers’ and employers’ rights
• It conciliates industrial disputes between employers and employees
• It promotes social dialogue and collective bargaining at places of work
• It registers and advises trade unions and employer associations
• It carries out regular inspections at places of work
• It promotes the employment of local job seekers; and
• It collects and publishes information on labour and employment
The department administers the Acts of Parliament that include the Employment Act, the Industrial and Labour Relations Act, the Employment (Special Provisions) Act, and the Employment of Young Persons and Children’s Act.
Others are the Minimum Wages and Conditions of Employment Act, the Factories Act, done in liaison with the Factories Department, and the Workers’ Compensation Act.
The Labour Department offices are spread in all the provinces of Zambia.
Having provided this information regarding the Labour Department, I can now explain who labour inspectors are.
These are officers under the Labour Department who are appointed under Section 4 of the Employment Act to enforce labour laws.
In undertaking this role, they provide assistance to employers in the course of their investigations to ensure that wage records and systems, and agreements and policies meet the minimum standards as required by the law.
Labour officers are supposed to carry out their duties in an impartial manner, and work with employers and employees to make sure that problems are resolved conclusively.
Under the Employment Act, Cap 268, labour inspectors have the power to enter freely, at any reasonable time, whether by day or by night, any workplace or conveyance where they may have reasonable cause to believe people are being employed and to inspect such a place of work or conveyance.
They enjoy the power to interrogate, whether alone or in the presence of witnesses, any employer, employee or casual employee on any matter concerning the application of any of the provisions of the Employment Act.
Labour inspectors can question anyone from whom they consider useful information may be obtained, and to ask, for examination, the production of any book, register, account or other documents whose keeping is prescribed by the law.
An inspector may copy such documents or make extracts if he or she considers such action necessary.
It is important to note that any person who delays or obstructs labour officers from carrying out their duties will be guilty of an offence and is liable to prosecution.
For now, let us keep the link open as we share issues on labour and employment.
(This column is an initiative of the Ministry of Labour and Social Security. For comments or questions, email info@mlss.gov.zm or niza12001@yahoo.com)