2022 has been a very difficult year for Zambians, notes Mtayachalo
By Christopher Miti
CHAMA North PF member of parliament Yotam Mtayachalo says 2022 has been a difficult year due to economic challenges.
He has since challenged worker unions to be proactive.
In his Christmas and New Year message to the people of Chama, Mtayachalo said many people were failing to put food on the table.
“I want to take this opportunity to convey my Christmas and New Year message to the people of Chama North and the country at large, and therefore I wish them a merry Christmas and prosperous 2023. However, I should state that 2022 has been very difficult year for the people of Zambia, and the most affected ones have been the vulnerable groups and the workers due to economic challenges,” he said. “And as such, many people are failing to put food on their tables. The situation has been exacerbated due to incessant increase in the cost of fuel. And the looming hike in the cost of electricity shall further worsen the economic difficulties and as such wherever you go people are complaining about escalating cost of basic needs and doing business in the country.”
Mtayachalo said the country’s food security is under threat due to poor and late distribution of farming inputs.
“Although Chama district has received all the D-compound fertiliser thus 21,435 [metric tonnes], however, the district as per yesterday (Friday) has only received 6,458 of Urea fertiliser against 21,435 which can be translated into 30 per cent delivery,” he said. “And therefore one wonders how this fertiliser will reach many rural parts of the constituency owing to bad roads as many areas become inaccessible during the rainy season.”
And Mtayachalo said workers have also been negatively affected by economic challenges.
“The workers have also been badly hit because of constant increase in the cost of transport to and from work, while salaries and wages have remained stagnant amid escalating cost of living and poor salaries and conditions of service. Trade unions must unite and advocate for amendments to the labour laws so that workers can reclaim their dignity and the right to strike action which was taken away from them by the [Frederick] Chiluba government,” he urged. “Therefore, unions cannot continue to be in their cocoons and watch helplessly while the workers’ purchasing power is being systematically eroded arising from frequent upward adjustments in the cost of fuel; and more importantly electricity which are key determiners in pricing mechanism of goods and services. And as such, trade unions must go back to their drawing board and rekindle their lost vibrance, otherwise they render themselves to be completely irrelevant.”
He hoped that the new Zambia Congress of Trade Unions leadership would soon rediscover its lost glory and become vibrant and relevant to the workers.
Mtayachalo noted that some jobs are being lost in the private sector due to increasing cost of production.
“We want a union which can speak on behalf of the workers and the people of Zambia against bad economic policies because trade unions world over are political by nature. Furthermore, I’m reliably informed that negotiations in the mining sector with trade unions have been difficult largely due to high energy cost. Therefore, the government should be wary of the escalating cost of fuel and electricity which shall impact negatively on the mining industry and other key economic sectors; and as such reversing economic gains,” he said. “You may be proud that we have employed 30,000 and 11,000 teachers and health workers respectively forgetting that at the same time more jobs are being lost in the private sector due to increasing cost of production. Moreover, while it is a good thing for the government to be employing workers in the public sector to improve public service delivery, however, caution must be exercised because it has the potential to increase the wage bill to unsustainable levels thereby putting a strain on the national treasury, hence affecting many key economic sectors such as health, education, and agriculture just to mention but a few at the expense of majority Zambians.”
Mtayachalo also feared that International Monetary Fund (IMF) policies may land the country into deeper economic crisis.
“I’m afraid that the IMF economic policies being pursued by the new dawn government may soon land the country into deeper economic crisis because I do not think imported economic theories are an answer to our economic emancipation because these policies failed us in the past under the Chiluba administration. And as such the scars of neo-liberal economic policies and privatisation are still visible,” said Mtayachalo.
