Zambian unionist rallies local peers

Oarabile Mosikare | Tuesday February 17, 2015 16:53

 

Giving the keynote address at the Botswana Federation of Public Sector Workers (BOFEPUSU) congress over the weekend, Njovu said in the short time he had been in Botswana, he had realised familiar challenges facing workers. “The two days I have been here have made me realise that workers face the same challenges everywhere. I am particularly concerned that the space for collective bargaining has continued to shrink in the face of poverty among workers,” said Njovu.

He shared excerpts from the Global Wage Report of 2014 saying its results highlighted the continued decline of wages amidst increasing levels of productivity and capital accumulation.

“Knowing that our wages constitute the largest single source of our income on which our livelihoods depend, we have a genuine concern to fight anyone touching our wages,” he said. 

“It is common knowledge that the neo liberal agenda which is founded on the premise of capitalist greed has failed everywhere.

“Where it has sought to be successful, it has only led to misery, growing inequality and widespread poverty.” Njovu urged his comrades to continue with the struggle for social justice by fighting against flexible and weak labour laws, among others.

“Labour legislative changes which come in the form of redefining employment categories such as placing public service employees into essential services should be rejected with the contempt they deserve.”

The Zambian unionists encouraged his colleagues to build strong resistance through international solidarity, adding that a new economic framework to reverse continued marginalisation was essential.

“We must emphasise the need for economic transformation with employment creation as a focus of economic policy. This should be through transparent trade agreements that place emphasis on labour rights as a prerequisite.

“In efforts to make our economies strong, there is need to strengthen local investment to encourage value addition to local products,” said Njovu.