13 November 2009
THE National Union of Communications Workers (NUCW) has said it supports the on-going privatisation of Zamtel because the move will help solve many problems the telecommunication company is currently grappling with.
NUCW general secretary, Clement Kasonde said in a statement in Lusaka yesterday that it was clear that the state of Zamtel was unable to support the current levels of employment and therefore, it was planned that in conjunction with the privatisation process, redundancies and retrenchments be implemented.
Mr Kasonde said the union would in that vein ensure that the workers got a fair deal in accordance with Zambia's labour provisions.
"The union is supportive of this process as it will help the company resolve fundamental difficulties that it currently faces and give it a more healthy and dynamic future, which would otherwise not be possible.
"It will also ensure workers are given a fair and equal treatment in accordance with the laws of Zambia. The management of Zamtel and the shareholder, the Government of the Republic of Zambia, have expressed strong support for the workers in reaching the agreement that sees the rights and welfare of all workers respected in the privatisation process," Mr Kasonde said.
In that respect, he said, the union's national leadership, under the framework outlined in the collective agreement with the company, has worked to ensure the fair treatment of the workers in the process.
After starting negotiations on October 9, 2009 the union and the management reached an agreement on October 22, 2009 on the package payable to the members of the union in the event of redundancies and retrenchments in connection with the privatisation.
They agreed on a three-month pay for each year served, two-month pay for repatriation and one month in lieu of notice.
"All workers will be treated equitably in this process and this package will be guaranteed to any worker who remains with the company after privatisation. Redundancies and retrenchments will only be implemented at the point of privatisation.
"The national executive of the union believes this agreement represents a fair settlement for the workers, consistent with the rights under the laws of Zambia and demonstrates a significant commitment from the management and the shareholder towards the welfare of the workers," Mr Kasonde said.
He said the union had decided to call a general council on November 27, 2009 to be held at New Fairmount Hotel in Livingstone to discuss and ratify the agreement.
The council would be held in accordance with article 9 of the union's constitution as the second highest supreme organ of the union.
"The purpose of convening this important congress is to inter alia, create consensus among all members of the union through the forthcoming general council on the process of sale of 75 per cent equity share in Zambia Telecommunications Company Limited as approved by the Government of the Republic of Zambia," he said.
Be the first to Write a Comment!
Copyright © 2009 The Times of Zambia. All rights reserved. Distributed by AllAfrica Global Media (allAfrica.com). To contact the copyright holder directly for corrections — or for permission to republish or make other authorized use of this material, click here.
AllAfrica aggregates and indexes content from over 125 African news organizations, plus more than 200 other sources, who are responsible for their own reporting and views. Articles and commentaries that identify allAfrica.com as the publisher are produced or commissioned by AllAfrica.
