Chinese firm summoned for violating labour laws

This country has laws and we cannot allow Zambians to be mistreated by their employers. Since you are pretending not to understand English, I am summoning your managing director in /usaka to my office to explain why the Zambian workers are mistreated.

GOVERNMENT has summoned management of a Chinese construction firm, Sunshare, which is contracted to build Bangweulu General hospital in Luposhoshi district to exculpate itself for allegedly violating labour laws and exploitating local workers. It is alleged that Sunshare Construction Company has not been complying with labour laws and basic conditions of employment. This came to light when Minister of Housing and Infrastructure Development Ronald Chitotela made an impromptu visit to the construction site on Monday. Workers complained to that they were ill-treated, not given contracts nor allowed to take off days or given time to vote whenever there were elections. “We are not allowed to take off days, they in fact did cut our salaries, which are already peanuts, when we did not come for work on Independence Day. And some of us have worked for over two years but they have not given us contracts,” one of the workers complained. When Mr Chitotela tried to enquire from the Chinese supervisor only identified as Mr Xuw, who was found on site why they were exploiting the local workers by not allowing them to celebrate national events and not giving them contracts, he refused to comment claiming that he did not understand the English language.