Ndola — The protest by 360 workers at Onshore Construction Company in Chingola early this week should serve as a lesson to both investors and the importers of labour into Zambia.

Firstly, Zambians can do some of these jobs being given to foreigners and, secondly, disputes over wages and conditions of service are never easy to resolve.

That is why 24 Onshore workers have been forcibly sent back to their country of origin, after being charged with gross misconduct and inciting fellow employees to strike.

The workers are claiming that they are subjected to working 12 hours a day and paid K1 million per month while being housed in deplorable conditions.

They are also demanding leave days bonus and want their salaries paid in Indian Rupees.

While we sympathise with the workers and indeed management at Onshore, we feel dialogue should have been given a chance by both sides.

The workers should have sought audience with their employers to discuss their grievances before abandoning their work stations.

Where no agreement is reached, an amicable solution such as voluntary separation should have been considered so that those that are unhappy with the conditions of service are allowed to go back to India instead of causing trouble in a foreign country.

We are perturbed that the accusations and counter accusations between the workers and their management are not leading to any solution. Both workers and management are in no mood to move.

What is particularly worrying is the fact that conditions of service that should have been signed and sealed in India by the two parties have ignited a strike action and protests in Zambia.

Further, the work stoppage by the Onshore workers engaged in the construction of a new smelter at Konkola Copper Mines will delay completion of the multi-billion Kwacha project.

We can only appeal to Government to make sure those importers of labour work within the Laws of Zambia and statutes governing their countries of origin.

In future, companies engaging foreign workers must be forced to display their signed contracts between the employer and the employee.

This is to protect the hired labourers so that they are not duped and the employer against arm-twisting tactics to press for what was not in the original contract.

For the workers, we doubt they would have agreed to come to Chingola if they knew they would be getting K1million, work 12 hours a day, 26 days a month and live in hostels.