Govt urged to use Labour Day to lift wage freeze

Government has been called upon to use the Labour Day celebrations tomorrow to unconditionally lift the employment and wage freeze.

Foundation for Democratic Process (FODEP) Executive Director MacDonald Chipenzi in a statement says government should also give clear direction on job creation.

Mr Chipenzi says government should also use the Labour Day celebrations to address the plight of public workers and the unemployed young people.

He says FODEP finds it difficult to join Labour Day celebrations when government has failed to honor its promise of lifting the wage and employment freeze which sentenced many Zambians to destitution and hopelessness in the midst of plenty.

Mr Chipenzi says FODEP finds it inhuman for government to comfort Zambian workers and unemployed people using a nice Labour Day theme when most average Zambians continue to wallow in abject poverty.

He has since called on the unions to press hard for respect of workers’ rights to bargain.