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The United Party for National Development (UPND) Chair for Labour, Godfrey Beene has encouraged businesses to adopt a mix of energy sources.
This follows the on going load shedding which has disrupted, more especially, small business operations.
Beene said those who could afford generators should acquaint themselves with the technology.
“We would like to encourage businessmen and women who can afford a mix of energy sources to adopt the innovations so that they are not affected negatively in their businesses in the short run,” he said in a statement issued in Lusaka on Monday.
Equally, Beene said, Zambians should familiarise themselves with solar energy.
He acknowledged that it was difficult to abruptly change from hydropower to other energy technologies.
Read more: ‘ZESCO, a lost cause’, CBU professor, Sichone, says off-grid energy needed
Meanwhile, Beene said as Zambia experienced reduced electricity generation and supply, the party’s attention was drawn to the plight of both workers and their employers who depended on Zesco power to produce goods and services.
“It is undisputable that we have found ourselves in an unfortunate situation.
“We also sympathise with self-employed businessmen and women who depend on electricity to produce their goods and services such as salon owners, barbers, restaurant owners, metal fabricators, et cetera,” he said.
Beene assured the workers that government and President Hakainde Hichilema were doing everything possible to ensure this shortage of electricity was a thing of the past.
“But as we embark on this journey, we encourage employers and their workers to read the Employment Code Act of 2019. Section 74 is very specific on working hours.
“All workers are expected to put in eight hours of work starting on any day or hour. Those asked to work a little more should not exceed 48 hours per week unless it is paid for over time. That is what labour laws stipulate,” he said.
Beene therefore urged Zesco to stick to their load-shedding schedule which had been split into two six-hour outages.
He stated that this should enable employers to plan their workers’ shifts.
“There is no need for employers to have all workers at the same time when they perform different roles at their places of work,” Beene said.
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