Chisela bemoans activities of corrupt trade unions, demands improved welfare for workers

Zambia is in a serious labour crisis due to political interest, struggles for political appointments and corruption, Zambia United for Sustainable Development (ZUSD) has said.

“A look into history shows a very committed voice of labour unions talk about the great late President Fredrick Chiluba, former Zambia Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU), Leonard Hikaumba, and others who championed workers’ rights,” ZUSD president Lazarus Chisela said.

Chisela said in his international labour day message on Monday that there was need to uphold workers’ rights to decent work and safe working environment.

He noted that Zambia lacked voices from labour unions to speak on behalf of the workers due to political interest, appetite for political appointments and corruption.

Chisela, a law and corporate governance lecturer who taught at various universities in the United Kingdom (UK) for more than 20 years, said Zambia should learn from international peers to better workers’ conditions of service.

“As a nation, let us learn from friends in the UK, United States (US) and South Africa on workers’ rights and make progress as opposed coming up with themes that are not working for Zambian workers,” he said.

Chisela observed that in Zambia today, the labour unions, commissioners and the Labour Minister were under-preforming at the expense of taxpayer’s money and poor workers.

“Governments and unions may deceive themselves of making progress on workers’ rights and the working environment including social security, many workers still continue to face a tough operating environment,” he said.

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