ILLEGAL STRIKES OR POLITICAL MACHINATIONS?

ILLEGAL strikes should never be condoned because these are a drawback on a country’s economic development especially for one fighting to stay afloat.

It is particularly alarming when the transport sector, which is a key part of the wheels turning the economy is threatened in any way. The question is, who is behind this machinations which are clearly designed to derail efforts to revive our economy?

While appreciating that issues of emoluments are crucial to any worker’s personal development, it is also important that this is not used to cripple an industry or sabotage the national economy.

For some months now, some truck drivers have been threatening and planning a countrywide strike, in a move designed to ground the transport sector.

Unfortunately in a country governed by laws, people do not just wake up and give ultimatums for salary increments and threaten to ground an economy if such demands are not met.

Such demands are not only unreasonable but illegal and no wonder today’s planned protest strike has been scuttled.

The timing of the strike could not have come at the wrong time with government striving so hard to revive the economy. This is hardly the time to be trying to be heroes of a wrong cause unless there is a hidden motive.

The government is focusing on ensuring that the economy is stabilised locally so that the country can meet its obligations as well as get the stakeholders in our Eurobonds to agree to a debt relief.

Government is negotiating to get some time, preferably six months, during which appropriate steps and plans can be made with the stakeholders on debt repayments.

It is therefore not the right time to try and divert Government attention to something less than profitable such as an illegal strike. With companies struggling after a crippling battle with the coronavirus, it is surprising that the truck drivers were even thinking of salary increments.

Is it any wonder the government is suspicious of the movements of this strike. Not long ago, drivers revealed that they were promised help by some opposition leaders if they worked together.

It is unpatriotic that at the time the country is fighting hard to revive the economy, others are trying to drive it downwards.

Yesterday, police arrested four suspected ring leaders of the failed countrywide strike by truck drivers for allegedly trying to coerce others to join their illegal work stoppage.

Copperbelt Commissioner of Police, Charity Katanga said that the four were allegedly found instilling fear in those who were working.

"Some of the striking drivers were hiding in the bush and throwing stones at the trucks that were moving on the road and five trucks have been damaged in the process," Ms Katanga said.

And Minister of Transport and Communication Mutotwe Kafwaya was at hand helping to defuse the confusion and helped to release trucks that had parked in fear of harassment by some drivers who were conducting an illegal strike at Sabina area along the Kitwe-Chingola road.

The minister was with Road Transport and Safety Agency chief executive officer Gladwell Banda and police officers from the Copperbelt in trying to restore order.

"The drivers are conducting an illegal strike demanding better salaries, but the action taken is against the law. Let them air their grievances in a proper manner; not what we are seeing," Mr Kafwaya said.

Deputy Inspector General of Police in charge of administration Eugene Sibote advised the drivers with grievances to find other means of airing them instead of engaging in illegal industrial action.

In January this year, some truck drivers were disappointed when the UPND president, Mr Hakainde Hichilema failed to deliver on his promise after asking them to help campaign for his party.

This followed a meeting at the UPND secretariat on January 6, 2020 with over 80 truck, taxi and bus drivers, led by Kelvin Katongo, the national secretary for the Truck Drivers for Change 2021 were Mr Hichilema urged them to intensify campaigns for the party in readiness for the next elections.

Mr Hichilema gave the drivers UPND branded key holder and T-shirts after providing them with lunch, contrary to the promise made earlier to provide free health services for the drivers who fell ill in a foreign country, free education for their children up to tertiary level, better conditions of service and eventually creation of an office under the Presidency to specifically cater for their concerns, among others he had made earlier.

Would it be farfetched to assume that this illegal strike, coming at the time when the country is economically struggling, may have a hidden political hand pushing it?