What the PF manifesto says on labour and industrial reforms
The conditions of service for Zambian workers have for years been declining in tandem with the economy.
This trend has, however, worsened in recent years under the MMD government with wide-spread embracement of misunderstood values of globalization.
Reforms that sought to liberalize the labour market have been widely abused by the government and related institutions resulting in wide-spread casualisation of labour.
As a result the rights and interests of workers are being violated in many work places. Consequently, most workers are underpaid and continue to work in unsafe workplace.
To redress these problems, the PF government shall:
• Review the Employment Act so as to introduce clear legal provisions that will govern casualisation of labour and outsourcing of services;
• Review the Minimum Wages and Conditions of Service Act;
• Carry out a comprehensive review and amendment of current labour related legislation such as the Factories Act which are now outdated;
• Rationalize the administration of the Ministry of Labour to effectively carry out its inspectorate functions so as to promote the welfare of workers in workplaces;
• Domesticate and implement international labour standards that Zambia is a signatory to; and
• Re-establish the labour department to maintain a register of available skills in the country.
Get a full copy of the PF manifesto here www.pf.org.zm