Dear Editor,
THE Patriotic Front is on the continued path to implement the internationally proclaimed employment standards and principally among them is the requirement for “equal pay for equal work.”
Already, there is an ongoing programme aimed at ascertaining the skills audit with the view to ascertaining the quantum of qualified human resource base.
So far, section 52 of the Employment Code Act has modified the application of the benchmark for the employment of expatriates and in the long term it will ensure that the foreigners are employed on the basis of necessity.
To lessen the historical industrial disharmony, the government has embarked on the review and continuous reforms of the Industrial Relations Act and this will ensure productivity. Another measure which will be taken is promotion of tripartite partnership among the labour movement, employer’s federation and Government.
Beyond 2021, the Labour offices will be given an extra duty to be the linkage between the employers and the prospective job seekers owing to the permanency of their institutions.
This is because, Labour officers interacts with the employees and employers thus can be of help to people who are job seeking. The demands for human resource consumption will increase especially with the yet to be introduced 24-hour economy as the number of shifts will be increased from one to three.
The public service workers will equally be entitled to industrial breaks and this will not just strengthen the family values but will also stimulate productivity.
The government will also encourage meritocracy by introducing a fair appraisal system and this will in the long term encourage productivity. There will be regular industrial relations monitoring for compliance of the appraisal systems which will be in place.
MARVIN CHANDA MBERI,
Lusaka.
