Nonde slams labour movement

Labour Minister Joyce Nonde has slammed the labour movement in the country for not understanding labour laws fully.

Speaking when officiated at the tripartite consultative labour council meeting in Lusaka; Ms. Nonde notes that there has been misrepresentation of facts especially through the media by the labour movement and employers with regards the law on casualization and outsourcing.

Ms. Nonde says the two parties should clearly understand the labour laws before making utterances which have the potential to cause public alarm.

She states that government will not condone lawlessness on both ends.

Ms Nonde has since encouraged employers, employees and citizens to read and understand labour laws, noting that some of the problems that exist in the labour sector have been due to lack of knowledge.

Speaking earlier, Zambia Federation of Employers President Tyson Chisambo expressed disappointment with the manner the Mine Workers Union of Zambia (MUZ) handled the matter surrounding Konkola Copper Mines’ outsourcing of labour.

Mr Chisambo says the Union has an unprofessional tendency of always rushing to call on government to intervene in labour matters which can be resolved between themselves and their employers.

He says such conduct is calculated to unnecessarily alarm the nation and fuel wrong perceptions about issues that are supposed to be handled using the statutory dispute resolution processes.

But Zambia Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU) President Chishimba Nkole said the Union is unapologetic for its approach towards the KCM issue.

Mr. Nkole says the Union found it astonishing for KCM to redirect mine workers to other subcontracted companies.