Workers confident in Lungu’s fight for better terms of service

By CHILA NAMAIKO –

SCORES of Zambians employed in various companies have expressed confidence that President Edgar Lungu will continue to fight for their improved conditions of service.
Those talked to, are happy that since Patriotic Front (PF) came into power, the conditions of service of most workers have improved owing to Government’s consistency to ensure more money was put in people’s pockets as being one of the PF’s campaign promises in 2011.
Early this year, the Government gave a New Year gift to workers by banning casualisation of labour and unjustified termination of contracts of employment.
This follows the Employment Act which was amended and President Lungu assented to the revised law.
The new piece of legislation meant that it was now illegal for any employer to engage an employee on a casual basis for any job of a permanent nature.
Sousten Phiri, 33, a driver who claimed to work for Hauding Investment Limited, a Chinese firm operating at the Lusaka East Multi-Facility Economic Zone (MFEZ), was happy with improved conditions of service from his company.
Mr Phiri, who was speaking in a walk-in interview yesterday on behalf of other workers, was grateful that President Lungu has shown commitment in uplifting the welfare of workers.
“We are happy our management is taking good care of us, I think this is owed to Government’s efforts to ensure conditions of service of workers are improved,” he said.
Mr Phiri, who was married with four children, was happy with his monthly salary recently increased to about K2, 500, and could afford to support three of his children to school.
He described President Lungu as a hard working leader who has proved well in ensuring the welfare of workers was improved.
He urged Zambians to support Mr Lungu ahead of the August 11 general elections to enable him to continue fighting for more workers’ incentives.
Other workers from Intech Smart House Zambia limited, a firm also operating from MFEZ, also expressed happiness with their management for taking care of their welfare.