President Edgar Lungu says there is need for employers across the country to provide decent jobs in order to increase productivity.
Speaking when he graced the World Labour Day in Lusaka today, the Head of State also lamented that most of the workers in the informal are not covered under any social protection.
President Lungu says this is unacceptable as the country promotes an inclusive economy.
President Lungu says there is need to cover workers such as bus drivers, taxi drivers, small scale farmers and other workers in the informal sector.
He said his administration is committed to creating a vibrant labour market and protect the workers.
The President stated that the government is reforming laws in the labour market as a way of promoting decent jobs for the local people.
He said the government will recruit more labour inspectors in order to enforce the labour laws.
And the International Labour Organization (ILO) has noted that productive employment and decent work are the foundations to generate wealth, sustainable and inclusive economic growth.
ILO Director for Zambia, Malawi and Mozambique George Okutho says this will also help to eradicate poverty and deliver dignity and democracies for people.
Mr. Okutho said authorities should strive to expand opportunities in productive jobs and enterprise development which serve as a backbone for social justice and lasting peace.
“As we celebrate 50 years in Zambia, we uphold the active engagement of the workers, employers and the Government. We would like to engage positively and constructively, working together with all governments and workers, and help those not covered under the traditional ‘social contract’. Our unique tripartite structure and social dialogue as the process and the means of interaction between governments, workers and employers has kept us close to economic and social realities, even in the turbulent times of the century,” he said.
“And at this time of celebrating the ILO’s Centenary, the member states through the Global Commission on the Future of Work, have taken a deeper look at how the world of work will unfold given the structural changes taking place. Changes arising from technological advancement – automation, robotics, and demographic trends in which while there will young population in other parts of the world – particularly Africa, there is aging population in the others.”
Mr. Okutho stated that in these times of transformative change at work, of great uncertainly, and even of a certain disillusionment about the capacity of policy makers to provide credible responses to the global challenges that the future of work poses it is surely more important than ever that the ILO demonstrate once again that capacity for renewal and reinvention.
He said some of the technological changes will be positive for many workers.
“For example, we will get rid of repetitive and hard tasks which will be performed by robots. However, as new jobs will be created and old ones will disappear, there is a need to be prepared and make sure workers receive adequate training. So, the aim is to understand what is going on in the world of work, renew our commitment to social justice and draw up, together, potential solutions for future action,” he said.