SPEECH BY MRS. MYRA MARA SAKALA NGOMA PRESIDENT OF THE ZAMBIA FEDERATION OF EMPLOYERS AT THE PLENARY SESSION OF THE 110TH INTERNATIONAL LABOUR CONFERENCE 27TH MAY TO 11TH JUNE 2022.
THE CONFERENCE PRESIDENT ,
VICE PRESIDENTS,
DISTINGUISHED DELEGATES,
ALLOW ME SPACE TO MAKE SOME REMARKS ON THE REPORTS OF THE DIRECTOR GENERAL AND THE CHAIRPERSON OF THE GOVERNING BODY. THE REPORT HAS AMONG OTHER THINGS OUTLINED THE NEGATIVE EFFECTS OF THE COVID -19 PANDEMIC ON THE LABOUR MARKET AND SPECIFICALLY THE FACT THAT A NUMBER OF JOBS WERE LOST AND THAT THOSE WHO REMAINED IN EMPLOYMENT EXPERIENCED A DETERIORATION OF THEIR INCOME.
AS EMPLOYEES COULD EITHER GET INFECTED WITH THE COVID -19 VIRUS AWAY FROM WORK OR WHILE AT WORK, IT ALSO BECAME A CHALLENGE FOR EMPLOYERS TO GET TO KNOW THE SOURCE OF THE INFECTION. THE WORKPLACE WAS NO LONGER A SAFE PLACE AND EVEN IN INSTANCES WHERE IT BECAME CLEAR THAT CERTAIN EMPLOYEES GOT INFECTED WHILE AT WORK, IT WAS NOT CLEAR WHETHER SUCH CASES COULD BE TREATED AS OCCUPATIONAL DISEASES THAT COULD ATTRACT COMPENSATION THROUGH THE WORKERS COMPENSATION FUND CONTROL BOARD.
THIS HAS REMAINED AN ISSUE THAT NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED AS WORKPLACES BECAME UNSAFE EVEN IN COMPANIES THAT HAD GUIDING POLICIES ON SAFETY AND HEALTH BASED ON NATIONAL LAWS GUIDED BY THE 17 ILO CONVENTIONS RELATED TO OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH INCLUDING CONVENTION 1981 ( NO. 155). TO THIS EFFECT WE COMMEND THE ILO GOVERNING BODY FOR THEIR RECOMMENDATION TO PLACE ON THE AGENDA OF THIS 110TH INTERNATIONAL LABOUR CONFERENCE AN ITEM CONCERNING THE INCLUSION OF SAFE AND HEALTHY WORKING ENVIRONMENT IN THE ILO’S FRAMEWORK OF THE FUNDAMENTAL PRINCIPLES AND RIGHTS AT WORK THROUGH AN AMENDMENT TO THE 1998 DECLARATION. THIS IS IMPECCABLY TIMIOUS AS IT ENTAILS THAT ISSUES OF SAFETY AND HEALTH WILL BE TREATED WITH THE PRIORITY THEY DESERVE.
DISTINGUISHED DELEGATES, THE PAST IS GONE AND NOW IT IS TIME TO LOOK AT THE PRESENT AND THE FUTURE IN TERMS OF OUR INTERVENTIONS THAT MUST HELP IN THE RECOVERY OF THE LOST JOBS BY PURSUING A JOB RICH RECOVERY AGENDA WITH PARTICULAR ATTENTION TO INDUSTRY POLICIES THAT SUSTAIN ENTERPRISES AT NATIONAL LEVEL AMONG OTHER STRATEGIES. AS EMPLOYERS IN ZAMBIA, WE WELCOME THE 2021 GLOBAL CALL TO ACTION FOR A HUMAN CENTRED RECOVERY APPROACH WITH A VIEW THAT COUNTRIES SHOULD PUT FULL EMPLOYMENT AND DECENT WORK, THE NEEDS OF THE MOST VULNERABLE AND THOSE HARDEST HIT BY THE PANDEMIC, AND SUPPORT FOR SUSTAINABLE ENTERPRISES , JOB AND INCOME AT THE HEART OF GENDER –RESPONSIVE RECOVERY STRATEGIES IN LINE WITH NATIONAL PRIORITIES .
DISTINGUISHED DELEGATES SKILLS DEVELOPMENT BECOMES ONE OF THE CRITICAL COMPONENTS ON THE RECOVERY PATH TO SUSTAINABLE EMPLOYMENT ESPECIALLY FOR THE YOUTH AND WOMEN WHO ARE REPORTED TO HAVE BEEN HARD HIT BY THE CRISIS. IN THIS REGARD WE WELCOME THE ON GOING DISCUSSIONS IN THE STANDARD SETTING COMMITTEE ON APPRENTICESHIP WHICH IS AIMED AT PROVIDING GUIDANCE TO MEMBER STATES ON MECHANISMS FOR DEVELOPING QUALITY APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAMMES WHICH WE STRONGLY BELIEVE WILL BE ONE OF THE MECHANISMS FOR EMPLOYMENT CREATION EITHER THROUGH ENTREPRENEURSHIP OR WAGE BASED EMPLOYMENT AS ONE OF THE ROUTES TOWARDS EMPLOYMENT RECOVERY.
IN REGARDS TO THE OVERVIEW OF RESULTS ACHIEVED IN COUNTRIES ON ACCOUNT OF THE 2020 – 2021 PROGRAMME AND BUDGET WE WISH TO COMMEND THE OFFICE FOR THE POSITIVE ACHIEVEMENTS RECORDED IN PARTICULAR BY ACHIEVING 896 RESULTS IN 151 MEMBER STATES ACROSS THE EIGHT POLICY OUT COMES EXCEEDING THE TARGET SET BY 3 PERCENT AND 4 PERCENT OVER THE TARGET RELATED TO INCREASED INSTITUTIONAL STRENGTH , RESILIENCE , SERVICE PROVISION AND CAPACITY FOR ADVOCACY OF EMPLOYERS AND BUSINESS MEMBERSHIP ORGANIZATIONS AND WORKERS ORGANIZATIONS. WE LOOK FORWARD TO MORE CAPACITY BUILDING PROJECTS AND INVOLVEMENT OF THE ILO CONSTITUENTS IN PROJECT IMPLEMENT IN THE FIELD OFFICES.
THANK YOU.