Ministry conducts capacity building workshop for labour inspectors

THE Ministry Labour and Social Security through the Labour Department has embarked on capacity building annexed Labour Inspections for officers across the country aimed at improving the quality and effect of Labour Inspections.

Speaking during the official opening of the first workshop in Central Province, Kabwe, Assistant Labour Commissioner, Chibesa Lupili-Sichone, said the exercise is important to assist officers to appreciate the purpose of labour inspections, their role in labour inspections, the conduct of labour inspections and inspection report writing.

Ms Lupili-Sichone added that clarity in inspection reports is cardinal in supporting Government to make important and informed decisions in policy framing concerning the labour market.

She said that capacity building workshops are very important in helping officers understand their powers and avoid overstepping the boundaries of the law.

She has challenged Labour Officers and Inspectors to familiarise themselves with articles of Convention No. 81 incorporated in the Employment Code Act. No. 3 of 2019 to give them a full understanding of the reasons for conducting the labour inspections.

Ms Lupili-Sichone added that the labour laws are meant to protect both the employers and employees and not to disadvantage any party in any way.

She said that during inspections, employers and employees have the rights to ask questions on what they do not understand and so it is the work of labour inspectors to sensitize and guide them appropriately and adequately.

Ms Lupili-Sichone disclosed that in the first phase of these capacity building workshops has commenced with Central Province, starting with training workshop then followed by intensive labour inspections which will be conducted by all the participating labour officers to be deployed in Kabwe, Kapiri Mposhi, Mkushi and Serenje districts to assess the quality of the conduct and reporting of labour inspections.

The capacity building workshop has drawn twenty five Labour Officers from the entire Central Province including facilitators from ministry headquarters.