By Meluse Kapatamoyo
Deputy labour minister Simon Kachimba has warned that casualisation of Zambian workers would now be punishable by imprisonment.
He said this during a Tripartite Labour Council meeting in the capital Lusaka, where it was revealed that despite employing 1, 224 permanent workers, South African chain- stores Shoprite and Hungry Lion still had over 1, 090 casual workers in their combined 27 outlets.
Some of the employees have spent over three years on the job and earn a measly K72, 000 per week.
But Kachimba said the ministry of labour had engaged Shoprite management from South Africa on the issues of improving their employees’ welfare in Zambia.
“As of now we are holding what we call the Tripartite Labour Council, where we are viewing these conditions. Once these issues are finalised, punishment for those who break the law will be quite stiff. There will be an article where someone will be immediately imprisoned once found guilty of breaking such a law,” said Kachimba.
Last year, Shoprite workers countrywide went on strike demanding for better pay and better conditions of service.