Maravi

(LUSAKATIMES) Revised minimum wage is final, erring employers will be prosecuted-Shamenda

Revised minimum wage is final, erring employers will be prosecuted-Shamenda
TIME PUBLISHED - Saturday, July 14, 2012, 2:10 pm

Labour Minister Fackson Shamenda says the revised minimum wage is now a piece of legislation which must be complied with by all employers in the country. Mr Shamenda has warned of prosecution against erring employers. He told ZNBC news in an interview in Lusaka on Saturday that the revised minimum wage is non reversible.

Mr Shamenda said that the minimum wage was arrived at after wide consultation. He has urged all employers to implement the new minimum wage to avoid getting in trouble. Mr Shamenda was reacting to the Zambia Federation of Employers -ZEF- Executive Director Harrington Chibanda who said the revised minimum wage is beyond the reach of many employers.

Mr. Chibanda was speaking when he featured on a Tv2 programme ‘Seven Dayas Today’ on Saturday morning.

And VICE-President Guy Scott yesterday assured that there will be no job losses following the upward adjustment in the minimum wage.

Dr Scott was responding to MMD Mafinga Member of Parliament, Catherine Namugala in Parliament yesterday who raised concern over the increase in the minimum wage, saying this would trigger job losses in the informal sector.

Dr Scott said that Government had taken a positive step in improving the welfare of domestic workers and others in the informal sector and that the law would prevent any job-cuts.

“What we have done as Government is the right thing, if we hadn’t created the jobs, people would still be complaining and so we are doing the right thing and I want to assure you that there will be no job losses following the changes we have made to the minimum wage,” Dr Scott said.

Recently Government announced a 100 per cent pay rise for workers in the informal sector and urged all employers to abide by the earning adjustment to improve the living standards of the workers.

ZNBC

Labels: FACKSON SHAMENDA, GUY SCOTT, MINIMUM WAGE

posted by MrK @ 3:37 PM