Minister of Labour and Social Security, Brenda Mwika Tambatamba, MP, says the Ministry has intensified workplace inspections using risk-based heat maps to identify and respond to areas with the highest levels of worker abuse and non-compliance with labour laws.
Ms Tambatamba told Parliament yesterday that the Ministry has conducted over 2,545 inspections covering more than 35,000 employees as part of a renewed effort to protect workers from unfair dismissal and unsafe working conditions.
This was in response to a parliamentary question raised by Kanchibiya Member of Parliament Sunday Chanda, who raised concerns over worker welfare in the private sector.
Ms. Tambatamba acknowledged that some employers were in breach of the law.
She said the Ministry of Labour and Social Security is implementing measures to promote
compliance and protect workers’ rights through regular labour inspections, awareness
campaigns advisory support to employers and administrative sanctions.
The Minister revealed that Zambia currently has 178 labour inspectors across 116 districts, with
inspection efforts focused on highly industrialized areas such as Lusaka, the Copperbelt, Central, Southern, and North-Western provinces.
“This means that, on average, there is almost one labour inspector per district. Of course, we realize that industry varies in different regions. Some areas are more industrialized than others, especially urban regions compared to rural spaces. Therefore, the allocation of inspectors is based on the size and extent of industrial activity,”she said.
“Our goal is to adequately support industry, the workers, and the employers – because we are a tripartite system. In every resolution made on matters of industry, the employer must be there, the worker must be there, and the government must be there.”
She said to enhance enforcement, the Ministry has adopted a multi-sectoral inspection model involving statutory bodies such as National Pensions Scheme Authority (NAPSA), the Workers’ Compensation Fund Control Board (WCFCB), and the Occupational Health and Safety Institute(OHSI), alongside employer and worker representatives to promote transparency.
“Madam Speaker, we have been targeting our inspections based on early risk assessments we conducted when the New Dawn Administration came into office. We developed heat maps to identify areas that required urgent attention in promoting decent work and harmony in industry,”Ms. Tambatamba said.
“Through these exercises, we know which areas are in the red, orange, or green zones, and we capitalise on the strengths in the green zones to push the agenda of decent work. Before we came into office, inspections were very limited: rarely reaching the thousands. Today, our inspectors, led by the Labour Commissioner, conduct joint inspections that are more comprehensive.”
As part of its digital transformation, the Ministry has also launched an online integrated
grievance reporting system into the Zambia Employment Labour Market Information System
(ZELMIS) through the Government Service Bus, Citizens’ Support Portal, and the call centre,
allowing workers to report any forms of abuse anonymously without fear of victimisation.
“When we came into office, many workers in industry were timid and lacked confidence in the Ministry of Labour and Social Security. Some had negative experiences with the previous administration and did not believe there was anyone to help them. That is why we immediately set up the labour call centre; so that even those who fear being seen reporting abuses can pick up a phone or use a computer and communicate safely,”the Minister said.
“Madam Speaker, we have observed that there are employers who have done very well” model employers. Particularly in the mining and financial sectors, some large companies are more mature in their labour relations.”
In response to a question raised by Kansanshi Member of Parliament Anthony Mumba, on why miners working under contractors are being paid as little as K1,500 per month, with no clarity on Workers’ injury scheme, pension and health insurance schemes;
Ms. Tambatamba noted that while large companies have demonstrated improved compliance, contractors in mining, construction, and transport continue to lag behind.
“We established that most grievances were not from the mine owners themselves, but from workers employed by contractors. These contractors are often less compliant than the main mine owners. We have therefore made it clear that the mine owners, being the first line of responsibility, must ensure that contractors operating under them comply with labour laws,” she said
“Madam Speaker, I assure the Honourable Member that we are coming to the Copperbelt, including Kantanshi and Mufulira, as part of our ongoing inspection calendar. On the issue of low salaries and worker welfare in the mining sector, discussions have already begun between the Ministry of Labour and the Ministry of Mines to develop measures that ensure our people are not taken advantage of.”
She said the Ministry is working in collaboration with the Ministry of Mines to strengthen joint inspections and hold contractors accountable.
“We will not relent in ensuring that every Zambian worker enjoys their rights in a safe, fair and dignified work environment,” said Ms. Tambatamba
