Kawambwa Tea Company Workers Go 13 Months Unpaid, Down Tools

By Godfrey Chikumbi
UNIONISED workers at Kawambwa Tea Company (KTC) Friday morning downed tools demanding their dues .
And the workers have appealed to government to repossess the company from its Zimbabwean investor who they claim has failed.
Some workers who declined to be named for fear of victimization told tumfweko.com that they have gone unpaid for 13 months.
The workers complained that company management has not been listening to their cries hence the need to go on strike.
They said they have not been able to send their children to school and are not sure whether they would even buy farming inputs for the 2011/12 farming season.
The workers who threatened not to get back to work until their grievances are heard have promised to remain calm as their union leaders handle the matter.
Efforts to get a comment from the union leaders proved futile as they were reported absent by press time.
Meanwhile, factory manager John Bunda has confirmed the work stoppage by the workers.
Mr. Bunda however declined to give this reporter an interview as his superiors were reportedly in Ndola, where the company is headquartered.
Besides, the workers have appealed to government to repossess the Zimbabwean – owned company alleging that the investors have lamentably failed.
They said if government repossesses the company it will contribute to the economic growth of Zambia adding that this will create employment.
KTC currently employs 600 locals and outsiders making it the biggest employer in the district.

Posted by Admin on October 22, 2011. Filed under HEADLINES, LATEST NEWS. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry

21 Responses to Kawambwa Tea Company Workers Go 13 Months Unpaid, Down Tools

lееее

October 22, 2011 at 1:00 am

THERE MUST HAVE BEEN CORRUPTION GOING ON AT KAWAMBWA TEA COMPANY.HOW CAN U COUNTINUE WORKING WHEN YOU ARE NOT BEING PAID?MAYBE THE WORKERS WERE STEALING TEA.ANYWAY DON’T WORRY.WE HAVE A LISTENING GOVT.
Bususu

October 22, 2011 at 5:29 am

Come on guys 13 months and no one could sound the alarm until now, why??..We will make it hard for the PF government to correct the wrongs done by the MMD with these strikes going on around the country..
Last week it was NFC now kawambwa!! Tomorrow who will be on strike?? Lets be logical guys of course we all need money one step at a time.Address the issue to the government then we see the way forward not ama strike.Personally i cant work for a company for 2 months without pay..How do those workers at kawambwa survive 13 months without pay?
smelter

October 22, 2011 at 5:36 am

Bususu lekafye-pantu iwe ulelya. Walyumfwapo insala?
Bususu

October 22, 2011 at 5:46 am

@Smelter i hear you, bose tulomfwa insala..My argument is why didn’t anyone say that was happening at kawambwa and they cant tell me they have been hungry for 13 months..Just a thought had the MMD won the elections would this have resurfaced.. its like people are now taking the PF government for granted.
pd

October 22, 2011 at 6:09 am

the lobour laws will take its work,
Umuboiz

October 22, 2011 at 6:33 am

What was happening in Zed, Investors were having fun at the expense of the workers or what? Its like people were being suppressed as they could take the matter nowhere. We have a listening govt in place now not just claims that “we are a listening govt”.Striking is not good yes but 13 months is too much, I cant even encourage anyone to go back before getting paid, unless there are loophole through which they have been eating.
Mandisa

October 22, 2011 at 6:59 am

Absolutely ridiculous! 13 months without pay and the workers are only speaking out now? Bushe what are the labour laws regarding non-payment of workers?It seems the labour laws in Zambia favour the employer more than the employee.This cannot go on.How are people supposed to survive?
james/andrew banda

October 22, 2011 at 7:05 am

Pipo as much as we appreciate the new Govnment, lets not make it hard for them to work by causing industrial strike. My appeal to workers who have problems with their employers is that they should either invite or fone one of the senior govenment official so that they can air their grivanceses, then u ll see how our listening govnment will do
Mind You

October 22, 2011 at 8:38 am

Govt intervention urgently required. River Motel workers in Kafue town are in similar predicament. They have been protesting at Labour Office for non-payment of salaries which have accrued to 12 months. Tumfweko, please check on these workers to get first hand news.
Florence Wachimonahu Dehi

October 22, 2011 at 10:00 am

There is no reason to down tools now when they have gone on peacefully for 13 months, it does not make sence. They just need to register their grievance and continue working and let the labour experts look into the matter. Yes I agree with Bususu, let’s not take our government for granted. Let’s not frustrate their good intentions. Please, let them go back to work and continue surviving the way they used to while the Labour Minister looks into their issue. Indeed what were they going to do if MMD had managed to rig? Why allow to be abused for so long without anybody knowing? Something fishy here!
themba

October 22, 2011 at 11:53 am

Casual workers at the KCMs GTLA protested demanding gratuity of 250million after working for four years.Fellow Zambians i couldn’t believe my ears when i heard of this whole nonsense,we need better package but lets be realistic and not just protest coz others are doing the same.
Corruption Antidote

October 22, 2011 at 12:07 pm

250 million? olo kubeba nomba this sounds too much gratuity for casuals or we all will want to change into our casual coats. 13 months without pay is also unbelievably too shocking to believe. Was the company making profit?
Sata

October 22, 2011 at 2:24 pm

I ll set an inquiry so that we know how the company was sold to this zimbabwean and then get it back possibly. Zambia is for zambians.
Musamba Chama Mumba

October 22, 2011 at 2:25 pm

Yaba, Kwena pa Zed, so a Zimbabwean can even own our once beloved Zambian company in Luapula:
Fine!

October 22, 2011 at 2:39 pm

This government is very interesting.

It is the first governement in the world to call on workers to feel free to demonstrate countrywide, as called by Shamenda early this month.

And so, the workers are simply following and hidding the minister’s word in support of the government’s policies.

It is tha governement which is not respecting its own WORD by calling on workers to stop demonstrating after they have requested them to do so.

Honestly speaking how many times and how long will this govt keep backtracking on their own words?

I personally thought that the shifting from one thing to the other by PF and president SATA during campaign was a mere campaign gymic to try and gain political mileage. But, my, was I wrong! Little did I know that this was their lifestyle to be lived even in govt.

This govt, in merely 28 days of office, has vibrated to and fro, backtracking back and forth on many issues. I am afraid if this rate is not changed this vibration will cause high friction which will eventually cause fire!!!

For those who can think, criticism or additions are welcome to my comments as always.
For those who cant think, they are welcome to keep quiet, if they cant keep quiet i know the result will be an insult. I DO NOT WELCOME insults, BUT I am NOT BOTHERED if they come, because I beleive they are coming from a brain malfunction. And why should I be bothered by something that comes from a brain that is unwell!!!
Toko

October 22, 2011 at 7:11 pm

Damn, 13 months.??? These workers are also dumb, . What the hell were they still doing over there w
real zambian

October 22, 2011 at 8:43 pm

Gentlemen, i was in kawambwa and the information i got was these guys were not paid their salaries for sometime.But the current mp for kawambwa mr chilangwa got them a lawyer who rely helped them to get part of their money of which chitika mp by then did nothing to help them.pipo this company makes money and this company rely needs govt to run it.pliz HEMC help our pipo as it is the only company surviving in luapula province.
BBC

October 23, 2011 at 4:07 am

I can’t even go to the comments to read because this is not true. Please tell me is it 13days or the year is made up 13 months. please tell us what is important and well to understand. A car can not work for a day with out Fuel. thankyou
oxmos

October 23, 2011 at 7:45 am

@FINE..I READ YOUR COMENT WITH INTEREST,YOU ARE THE ONE INSULTING OTHERS BY CALLING THEM “MALFUNCTION BRAIN” NOT REALISING EVEN YOUR IS. YOU ARE THE ONLY “JEW” WHO CANT SEE THE BENEFITS OF CHANGE EVEN YOUR PANTS!!!
Chichi

October 24, 2011 at 6:11 am

The problem has been there for so long now. These people go for months without pay and there are only paid part of the money when it is available. on the question of how they survive, these are local people who beside working do their subsistence farming. They dont entirely depend on work. I come from there, and the situation is very true. Ever since the factory was privitised things have not been well.
These people should be commended for keeping this company running.
dr christine kaseba

October 24, 2011 at 8:43 pm

kwata amano iwe jus because you are full in you atomach you think every one is like you?
my points to you are as follows i dont want to insult you i will be not contributing to zambia:
1, people were oppressed because if you wanted to complain the investors would say you can go anywhere, why? coz EX- MMD GOVERNMENT was eating money from the investors
2. corruption was rampant such that if you report such cases it will not go any where the investor will simply dish money to few officials and ends there,
3. union leaders where bought by government. example was not leonard kaumba talkative during mwanawasa? rb came wat happened? they bought him, see hikaumbas house you will agree. he was toothless,even some chiefs,
4, the laws where simply not respected.
so lett us contribute here in a manner that will help our brothers and sisters,
and on allowing people to down tools, people have the right to complain, as unions yes not as an individual at work but collectively you can go on strike ok, so zambia is not the 1st to allow that, the government through the bearded fackson(**** son?) was merely appealing if you check your dictionary its means:plea or ask in a good way as an option, not forcing…