ZCTU was already dead when i took over – Hikaumba

Zambia Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU) President Leonard Hikaumba has charged that the trade union movement in the country was already dead when he took over from Labour Minister Fackson Shamenda as ZCTU president in 2002.

Reacting to Labour Minister Fackson Shamenda was over the weekend quoted in some sections of the media saying trade unions are dead and buried because union leaders lack good negotiating skills like those a man uses when enticing a woman, Mr. Hikaumba says when his leadership took over they found workers being exploited and most of them were not unionized.

Mr Hikaumba has told QFM News in an interview that his union has since immensely contributed to the reduction of cases of workers exploitation in the country.

He adds that contrary to the Labour Minister’s assertions, the labour movement has the capacity and skill to negotiate with government and other employers on matters affecting workers.

Mr. Hikaumba has since dismissed the suggestion that his Union leadership is the architect of ineffectiveness and inefficiency of the labour movement in the country.

The ZCTU President says the current Trade union Leaders are merely trying to revive what was destroyed by their predecessors.

qfm News