ZDDM cries for retrenched workers under SAP

ZDDM President Edwin Sakala

The Zambia Direct Democratic Movement (ZDDM) has observed that a number of former workers retrenched under the IMF/World Bank/Zambian Government Structural Adjustment Program -SAP in the early 90s have since died without getting their terminal benefits.

In a petition to President Edgar Lungu, ZDDM President Edwin Sakala says while he highly appreciates the President’s great commitment and hard work towards building the country, he prays that he can also look at the plight of former workers suffering and dying because of negligence.

He says thousands of workers were for example thrown on the streets as part of the privatization program which government adopted in the late 80s but unfortunately nobody can give a clear explanation as to what happened to the money which they were supposed to be paid as terminal benefits.

Mr. Sakala notes that it is clear that the retrenches were deliberately and purposeful advised to channel their complaint through the courts which are clearly delaying the cases with the hope that most of them will simply die and the matter closed.

He says this very painful that these deaths and current suffering could have not been there if those charged with various responsibilities can do their work with a human heart.

He has further appealed to President Lungu to personally step in and save the lives of the surviving retrenches and their families stressing that government should address the plight of former workers who are now living in destitution and dying from poverty related causes.