Implement minimum wage or risk deregistration – labour officer
By Staff Reporter
The labour office in Eastern Province has warned companies that have not implemented the revised minimum wage policy of deregistration.
Speaking to journalists in Chipata, provincial Labor Officer, Francis Shabani said his office has started engaging the Patents and Companies Registration Agency, PACRA, to help analyze security companies that are not complying with the minimum wage.
He has bemoaned the low levels of compliance by security companies owners over the implementation of the minimum wage.
“My office has on several occasions engaged company owners to understand their challenges and why they fail to comply. But most of the security companies have been making commitments that they would comply, but up to now they are not,” Shabani said.
He said his office was aware that most security companies had challenges in raising money to pay their workers the required wages as stipulated in the 2018 revised minimum wage act.
“While labour office would continue directing security companies to comply, it would not be possible if the companies do not have a stable financial base. I am urging some named security company owners to shut down their companies if they cannot sustain their workers’ wages,” he said.
