Govt fines 10 companies in Lusaka, Kabwe for flouting employment code laws

About 10 companies in Lusaka and Kabwe have been charged an administrative penalty amounting to a total of K420,000 for being non-compliant with various sections of the Employment Code Act, No.3 of 2019.

This was contained in charge letters signed by the Ministry of Labour and Social Security Labour Commissioner, Givens Muntengwa.

Muntengwa penalised them for not providing written contracts to employees, issuance of contracts that are not attested by the Labour office.

The companies were also charged for no remittance with the National Pensions Scheme Authority (NAPSA), National Health Insurance Management Authority (NHIMA) and Workers Compensation.

They were also charged for not providing Proper Protective Equipment to their employees and underpayment of their employees among others.

The charges are in view of the recently conducted inspections by the Ministry together with its statutory bodies in the two Provinces that revealed the stated companies’ failure to provide the stipulated requirements when engaging employees.

Ministry Public Relations Officer, Godfridah Chisala, identified the four companies, which were charged K60,000 in Lusaka as Miles Trucking and General Dealers, Lift and Shift Trucking, ACK logistics and Forshan Trading.

In Kabwe, Chisala identified the companies as Mahak Restaurant, Central Farmers Nest Limited, Glance Milling Company, Hot sizzling Pub and Grill Limited, Cleaners Delight and Central Farmers Nest Pharmacy.

She said these companies have each been charged K30,000 for various contraventions.

“In light of this, the Ministry has since appealed to companies in various sectors in the country to adequately familiarize themselves with the Employment Code Act No.3 of 2019,” Chisala said.

She further implored companies to employ certified Human Resource practitioners that are registered with the Zambia Institute of Human Resource Management (ZIHRM) so as to increase compliance levels and avoid unnecessary sanctions.

“In addition, members of the public are also encouraged to report all cases of non- compliance that may be experienced in different sectors to the nearest Labour Office,” Chisala said.

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