News

The Director General

Mr Juan Somavia

International Labour Organisation Geneva

Nyon, 9 May 2008

Dear Juan,

SUBJECT: URGENT INTERVENTION OF THE ILO SOUGHT IN ZAMBIA CONCERNING

AMENDMENTS TO THE INDUSTRIAL & LABOUR RELATIONS ACT, BILL NO. 6 OF 2008

We write in support of the complaint submitted to the ILO by the Federation of Free Trade Unions (FFTUZ) and the Zambia Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU), the two national centres where UNI Global Union affiliates are also affiliated.

We are informed that the Zambian Government is in the process of passing a law to which the two national centres are totally opposed. The procedure followed by the government is tainted as they have avoided the normal consultative channels.

The government has presented a Bill in Parliament which has 28 proposed amendments to the Industrial and Labour Relations Act yet only 8 clauses were discussed at the tripartite consultative body. The other 20 clauses were included in the Bill without any prior discussion in the tripartite forum.

All the 20 clauses are in violation of the ILO Labour Standards and the Zambian Constitution. If passed the proposed amendments to the Industrial & Labour Relations Act will cripple trade unions in Zambia.

We urge the ILO to intervene with the utmost urgency with the Zambian Government and demand that the Labour Bill currently at Committee Stage in Parliament be withdrawn to allow for further consultations with the social partners in the tripartite consultative forum.

Further the ILO should demand that the Zambian Government withdraw the proposals and seek the ILO's guidance in ensuring that any changes are consistent with the ILO standards.

Yours Sincerely,

Philip Jennings

General Secretary

UNI Global Union

Cc

UNI-Africa Regional Office

UNI-Zambia Liaison Council

FFTUZ, Zambia

ZCTU, Zambia

The Labour Minister, Zambia

Attachments:

Copy of FFTUZ submissions to ILO

Media reports of President Patrick Mwanawasa's May Day speech

Media reports of FFTUZ and ZCTU responses to President Patrick Mwanawasa's speech

Opinion by the Post Newspaper in favour Zambian workers